Making It All Fit
Making the Most of Your Time
2005010
Topic # 0612
Introduction:
A. Eph. 5:15-16
B. How can I make the most of my time? Why is this a problem? What makes it so difficult?
C. So many feel their lives are out of balance.
1. Stressed & burned out lives, full of anxiety, worry, and depression
2. Just where do we balance it? How do we fix it?
3. Esp. when so many priorities in life to juggle – especially for young families.
D. What doesn’t fit? What’s hard to fit in?
E. Work, school, home, recreation, hobbies, and God all demand pieces of our time.
1. These must be arranged by order of importance.
2. So…how can we make it all fit?
I. Make it happen by:
- Realize your dependence on God. Why is this important?
- How would this help me better manage my time?
- 5:1-2 – be an imitator of God; walk in love.
- Why? Because Jesus gave Himself up for you. It’s a personal thing.
- Seek to find His purpose for you and then mold your life around that purpose. 5:8, 10
- Strive for excellence in your life. 5:15 – be careful how you walk…
- Give attention to your life. Some wander around aimlessly, w/o direction or purpose. Do you have any goals for your family? A plan? Vision?
- Do your best to be:
a) God’s kind of husband/wife
b) Are you a good husband/wife? Why? How? How to improve?
c) Be devoted to your marriage. Divorce is not an option.
1) Maybe this isn’t the marriage you’ve envisioned, but you have a responsibility to make it work. You promised you would.
2) 5:25-33
- God’s kind of father/mother
a) Are you a good father/mother? Why? How? How to improve?
b) This is serious. You’ve been entrusted with the upbringing of a soul. You will be responsible for the way they’ve been raised.
c) 6:1-4
- God’s kind of employee
a) 6:5-8; Col. 3:23
b) We must recognize our responsibility to provide for our families.
- Make the most of your time. 5:16
- Do we waste time? How? Why?
- We find ourselves distracted by urgent matters and the important things suffer.
II. What are our priorities? How do you decide what your priorities are? What do you base them on? Do they need adjusting?
III. Not all activities are equal!
A. If we can throw out some activities – they will not be missed!
B. Time mgmt specialists say that lives are divided up into 2 different areas.
C.
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1. What happened? 12:20-23
2. 12:24-34 – deals w/worry. What are we often worried about in this life?
D. We must not neglect the important things!
III. We must eliminate the bad!
A. All of us probably have needed to take personal inventory of our lives!’
1. What’s good? What’s bad? What can I improve on?
2. What am I leaving out that should be there – but just don’t have time for?
B. Rom. 2:5-7 – God going to judge us – render to each of us according to our deeds.
1. 2:7 – need to persevere in doing well! Do good things!
2. 2:10 – those who do so receive glory & honor!
C. 1 Thess. 5:21 - Need to determine what is better and best.
1. After accomplishing the best – need to turn that which is better…
2. After I finish w/better – look to that which is good.
3. Tackle the good – but…if you did not get done what was good – you’re OK because you’ve done the best.
4. You’re OK – you’ve nothing to worry about.
IV. Be Serious about the commitments you have made.
A. 1 Peter 4:7 – a lack of serious/commitment/devotion is why many young families suffer through abuse, unhappiness, and even divorce!
B. Be true to the commitments you’ve made
1. Must be total commitment to the marriage.
a) Marriage takes precedent over friends, acquaintances, parents, etc. Gen. 2:24
- There must be a deep concern for raising children in a good & wholesome way.
- There must be a realization of the need to provide for the family.
Conclusion:
A. 5:15-16
B. Make the most of your time by being a Christian! Live a godly life!
