How Are You Using Your Time?

And motivation to use it better

Jun 02, 2025

Hi all,

In recent months, I’ve been somewhat gripped as I’ve studied the lives of some of the greatest Christians of the past — most especially, Jonathan Edwards and Leonard Ravenhill. In my estimation, these men were particularly excellent, not perfect, examples of godliness and devotion to Christ Jesus. The aim of this post, however, is not to overview them as individuals, but instead to discuss a common theme in both of their lives: namely, the urgency with which each of themlived. That is, flowing from their meditations on life’s brevity and the inescapability of judgement, there was a certain vitality, press and desperation which characterised their Christian walks — a deep compulsion to maximise every breath the Lord would grant them, to live “in light of eternity.” This is by no means a comprehensive treatment of the importance of using our time wisely, but, God-willing, will serve as a brief exhortation to “[make] the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (ESV) (Ephesians 5:16).

Within the next 80-100 years, I’ll probably be dead. Relatively soon afterward, my body will (probably) be placed in a casket and buried (Ecclesiastes 3:20). I do not say this because I have some morbid obsession with death, though rather to remind us all of this important truth: that, one day, we will all be dead. We will not be re–incarnated or given a second opportunity — we each have “only one life.” Therefore, friends, it is of utmost importance that we use it well. That is, to lead lives which have the singular aim of glorifying God (Romans 6:8–13, 12:1; Ephesians 3:17, 23–24).

Consider the following Scriptures:

First, 1 Peter 4:10–11, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (ESV, emphasis added).

Second, Romans 11:36, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (ESV, emphasis added).

Third, the commandment in 1 Corinthians 10:31 — “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (ESV, emphasis added).

Therefore, because we exist to bring God glory, we should strive to use all of our time to that end. We must now “work the works of him who sent [us]” because “night is coming, when no one can work” (ESV) (John 9:4). Now, this is something we generally don’t like to ponder, because it forces each of us to examine our lives and surrender to God the fruitless, void, “time–thieves” that our flesh loves most. Yet if we were to truly meditate on the significance of every second against the backdrop of eternity, it would bring us to our knees, and compel us to pray, like Moses, that God should “teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom” (ESV) (Psalm 90:12). In a similar vein, the great theologian, Jonathan Edwards wrote, “I want to remember these three things: the shortness of life, the suddenness of death, the length of eternity … always having an eternal perspective because right now counts FOREVER.”

Dear Christian, do you feel this press of eternity? That, “right now counts FOREVER”? Because, Beloved, the world, the flesh and the Devil would have you live as though death, judgement and eternity were distant when, in reality, they are much nearer than you or I would like to think. Therefore, as Christians, our lives, like Jesus Christ, ought to be marked by an urgency (cf. Mark 1:10, 12, 19–21, 29, 43) to complete the “good works, which God prepared beforehand [for us]” (ESV) (Ephesians 2:10)

Understand, here, that this press cannot be conjured up by pure determination — it must be grounded in the Word of God, so that the Holy Spirit can use it to foster a greater urgency about our lives. Therefore, I want to a brief exhortations (primarily targeted toward professing Christians) to use your time wisely.

A few weeks back, we celebrated how the death and resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ reconciled us to God through faith (Romans 4:22–5:2, 11). Now reconciled to God, “we are more than conquerors” (ESV) (Romans 8:37) and await a “glorious inheritance” (ESV) (Ephesians 1:18). However, as you also know, we not only became (and still are) recipients of His grace — we were also “set free from sin” to “become slaves of God” (ESV) (Romans 6:22). On this matter, the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (ESV, emphasis added). We are, if True and Genuine Christians, rightfully owned by Christ. For, if he had not become a Man, died on our behalf, risen from the dead, given us His Spirit and guaranteed us eternal life, simply because He is God, we owe our everything to Him. Since He has also justified, redeemed and saved us, how much more are we now in His debt!

Ponder Romans 6:10–11: “For the death [Jesus] died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (ESV, emphasis added).

“Therefore,” as Romans 12:1 reads, “[we ought to], by the mercies of God … present [our] bodies as [living sacrifices], holy and acceptable to God, which is [our] spiritual worship.” (ESV).

To summarise, in light of Christ’s sacrifice, we are “not [our] own.” Therefore, because we are “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus,” we ought to “present [our] bodies as [living sacrifices], holy and acceptable to God, which is [our] spiritual worship.” Hence, being living sacrifices, we have no time to waste. Indeed, when we waste time, we rob God of His right to use us to accomplish His purposes. Christ deserves it all, so we must surely give our all to Him. Note, though this post mainly focuses on our time, the above principles apply to our finances, opportunities and possessions — it is all Christ’s.

For, in his letter to the Romans, Paul did not introduce himself as a slave (“doulos”) of Christ flippantly. He had rounded up his pride, his will, his self–determination and put them all to death so that he might be a slave to Christ. Read his words in Galatians 2:20a, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God.” (ESV). Why? Look at Galatians 2:20b, “[because the Son of God] loved me and gave himself for me.” (ESV). Paul gave himself fully to Christ — his life, his will, his time — because he understood something of the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice for him. This, I think, is so vital. C.T. Studd, the poet of “Only One Life,” echoed a similar idea when he said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” Amen. Richard Baxter, the Puritan, beautifully wrote, “I take the love of God and self–denial to be the sum of all saving grace and religion.”

Like Paul, the knowledge of the love of God in Christ compelled Baxter and Studd — and Edwards and Ravenhill — to present themselves as willing servants, through the use of their time, to accomplish the will of their Master.

2 Corinthians 5:14–15, “For the love of Christ [that is, Christ’s love for His people] controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (ESV, emphasis added).

Meditate on Paul’s extraordinary words in Ephesians 3:14–21 (ESV):

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father … that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge … Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (ESV, emphasis added).

The question, now, is ‘How can I increase my knowledge of the love of Christ so that I can be motivated to use my time for His sake?’ Being still a novice at 17 years old, I will readily admit that my wisdom (and experience) is limited, though I’ll recommend three practical steps which have benefitted me and will, I pray, help those of you who are truly in Christ, “comprehend” God’s love for you.

First, pray that God would give you “strength to comprehend … the love of Christ” (ESV) (Ephesians 3:18–19). This was the Apostle’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14–21 for the Church in Ephesus, thus we should surely pray in this way for ourselves — recall, a deeper understanding of the love of Christ motivates us to use our time well.

Second, meditate on the Word of God. Admittedly, this is something I’ve only recently been made aware of. Beforehand, I had approached Bible–reading as a means to gain information about God — similar to reading a textbook — though God has since used fellow Christians to reveal that this approach was merely surface–level, and has, through them, encouraged me to ponder, chew over and even wrestle with His Word until He blesses me through it. That is, until I understand His love toward me in greater measure and am compelled to serve Him more fully through how I use my time.

Third, make a habit of consuming Biblical, Christ–centred preaching and teaching. Now, of all three, I have found this most effective and practical as, personally, I enjoy listening to music, podcasts and books. While studying, doing chores or walking about, I formerly used that time listening to worldly music, podcasts and books which added nothing to my soul. In God’s grace, however, He has worked in my heart and has exposed me to preachers and teachers whose ministries have encouraged me to ponder the more eternal things rather than those vain things which charm me most.

Here are some of my personal recommendations, most of which can be downloaded on Spotify for offline use:

Scroll Reader (Free Christian Audiobooks)

Blog: Redeeming the Time: Rose City

Note that these three things — prayer, Bible reading and good preaching/teaching — are those same three things we always hear. So, we default, like Naaman before he was healed of leprosy, to sigh and say, ‘Prayer, Bible reading and sermons again? Surely, there must be something new!?’ Though, Friend, I would remind you that God prefers to use the simple things to shame the “wise” and thus make us depend more on Him (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18-31). In His wisdom, God has not made the Christian walk difficult in that we must be constantly trying to think of some new ‘strategy’ or ‘method’ to grow in our faith — it’s all in His Word; we must only “trust and obey, for there’s no other way.”

I’ll end with a question from Leonard Ravenhill, which I would encourage you to give much thought. It often forces me to stop and think deeply about its answer in relation to the use of my time. It is a difficult question, though ultimately one that you and I must answer. Here it is: “Are the things you’re living for worth Christ dying for?”

May God enable you to understand the depth of His love toward you in greater measure so that you may serve as a better instrument in His hand,

Daniel

Soli Deo Gloria!

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