Monday, November 8th – Read Ephesians 5:15-17
15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
Paul encourages us in these verses to be wise in how we use our time so that we can make the most every opportunity.
In order to make the most of our limited time, we should ask the question “In light of _____, is it wise?” before making decisions about your schedule. What would you put in the blank when asking that question? Is it your goals, your family’s needs, your marriage, you relationship with God or something else? Explain.
Tuesday, November 9th – Read Romans 12:1-8
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Paul instructs us in this passage to follow God’s plan for our lives in using the gifts He gave us instead of falling to the patterns of this world.
The “normal” pattern of today’s society is busyness, meaning that if we are not busy we are not productive.
- What things in your life are keeping you too busy? How is that busyness affecting all areas of your life?
- Describe a time when you said “no” to something good that ultimately allowed you to say “yes” to God’s best.
- What are the things in your life that you value most? Does the way you use your time reflect those values? Why or why not?
It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
When we are weary from the busyness of life, God encourages us in these passages to focus on what matters most—spending intimate time with God and finding rest in Him.
- How important is your intimate time with God?
- How does that time impact your daily life?
- How is the rest you find in God different and more satisfying than other kinds of rest or comfort?
1 “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds.
2 In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence.
3 Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”
4 “O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?” asks the Lord. “For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight.
5 I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces—to slaughter you with my words, with judgments as inescapable as light.
6 I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.
What major changes will you make starting now that will allow you to create margin for things you value most in life?
Friday, November 12th – Prayer Day
Use these prayer tips to guide your time with God this week
- Confess those areas of your life in prayer that are causing too much busyness. Ask for God’s help.
- Ask God in prayer to give you the strength to say no to good things so that you can say yes to His best.
- Commit to God the things you will do immediately that will allow you to create more margin in your schedule.
- Make a simple plan that will help you create and schedule more margin in your life.
- Share this plan with another person so that they can help you succeed.
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