The next two months of our focus on practicing the spiritual disciplines together will center on the word stewardship. Stewardship is the idea that God is the owner of every resource that we have and as Christians we are to utilize and manage all that He has entrusted to us for His glory and honor and according to His purposes. We don’t use the word stewardship on a daily basis, but embracing this calling of a steward can be a life altering discipline. So we will consider two of the main resources God has given us to steward well over the next two months – time and money. 

This month we will be focusing on stewarding our time. If we want to be like Jesus, we must see the use of our time as a spiritual discipline. Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” The goal of stewarding our time isn’t just to be more organized or efficient, even though that will be a huge help. The real goal is to redeem our time and to commit to making the best use of the time God has given us. 

We live in a world full of time thieving agents that serve the priorities of the world, our flesh and the enemy, rather than God’s. And if we’re not careful and intentional, we can easily be sucked into that same pattern. What you and I do with our time matters, and in order to use it wisely we need the perspective and wisdom to discern between what’s good, better and best. And that is what we want to help you consider this month: what is the best way to use your time for the purpose of godliness. Our hope with this month’s resource is that you will do 5 things:

1. Read the short book by Kevin Deyoung called “Crazy Busy”
2. Establish a clear mission that will help you set priorities for how you (and your family if applicable) will use your time
3. Make 1 real change that reflects your priorities and mission
4. Prioritize bible reading and prayer
5. If you’re a parent: bring you kids and students into this conversation and invite your junior high and high school student to read the book too

Let’s learn to steward well the time God has entrusted to us. Let’s learn to use it with the truth of God’s word in mind, and be disciplined to invest it in godliness. After all, if you have given your life to Christ – your life, and your time, are no longer your own – they are his. And we know that the best and most joy-filled way to spend it is to use it the way God wants.