Joyce Meyer - How Do I Stop Wasting Time? (08/18/2019)
This sermon focuses on the urgency and value of time, urging believers to live purposefully and avoid waste. Key scriptures include Ephesians 5:14-17 and Proverbs. The message emphasizes that we must be intentional, stop blaming circumstances, avoid anger and complaining, and actively participate with God to fulfill His will and leave a meaningful legacy.
The Value of Your Time
Tonight, I want to talk to you about making the most of your time. Father, help us tonight. You speak through me. They don't need to hear from me. They need to hear from you. And I thank you for your anointing. I thank you that people's lives are going to be impacted and they're going to use their time more wisely than ever before. In Jesus' name. Amen. Okay, time is something that we all have the exact same amount of. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That's all you're going to get. Isn't it amazing that some people do so much with their life and other people do so pitifully little with their life? We can't blame it on circumstances. We are the ones who need to rise up and begin to live the life on purpose that God wants us to live.
And stop just blaming everything that's going on around us from how we were raised to the government, to this, to that, to something else. Time is too valuable to waste. And if you don't believe that now, you just wait till you get somewhere up in the 60s or 70s and see if you don't think that time is valuable. I never even thought much about this until the day I had to go sign up for Medicare. And I'm telling you, that was like, I was like, Medicare? I am old enough to be on Medicare. It just, I don't know, it was just like this thing, you know? And every year, you get a year older. And the older you get, the faster those years go by.
Now, I know if you're 20, you're like, well, this just doesn't relate to me at all. Well, honey, please listen to me. You are not going to be 20 forever. And you will be 40 before you know it. And those of you that are 40 will be 50 before you know it. And the thing is, is if you live your life smart now, you can have a great future. But if you waste your time now, you know what you're going to end up with? Nothing but regrets. And I think regret is a terrible, terrible thing. It's like, you're sad and you regret something that now you can't go back and fix. You can't go back and do anything about it. That's why we need to do the right thing when we have the opportunity to do the right thing. Time is just too valuable to waste.
Live the Life You Were Meant to Live
I wonder how many people at the end of their life feel that they have truly lived the life that they were meant to live or wanted to live. I was talking to somebody the other day, and he said, you know, the biggest majority of people go off to work every day at a job they can't stand. And you know, you know why most of them do it? Money. Just, just money. You know what, we need a little more courage. We need to find what God wants us to do. And we need to not be satisfied just to live our life doing something we hate. But let God help you find a way to do what you really love. I love what I'm doing. Now, I did a lot of things before I got here, but I love what I'm doing.
And when you love your work, you don't even... I mean, yes, you know you're working, but it's like sometimes I can't tell the difference between when I'm working and when I'm not, because I don't really feel like this is my work. It's my life. It's my life. And you say, well, I wish I had a job that I love. Well, you're not going to get it wishing. Come on, we've got to go back to that same gate all the time. I wish, I wish, I wish. That's what we have to stop. We can't wish. We've got to take action. We've got to start praying and start believing God and start stepping out and start making plans. If there's something that you really want to do that you're not qualified to do now, then while you're doing what you're doing, start getting some education to do what you really want to do later on.
God can do so many great things through us if we'll take steps of faith. If you don't like the way your life is going, and I'm sure some of you don't, and certainly many people watching TV right now, maybe you just think you accidentally turned this program on and you just stopped to see what I think I'm doing or something. If you don't like your life, you're the only one that can change it. Now obviously, we trust God to change our life, but God does things through us. He doesn't just do things in spite of us. We're not going to sit around and be lazy while God does everything for us.
God Works Through Your Participation
You know, there's a scripture that I think we don't really see the fullness of, and it's Ephesians 3:20. For God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all that we could ever dare to hope, ask, or think. And boy, people love that scripture. But the rest of it says, according to his power that worketh in us. Come on, according to his power that worketh in us. And so, God is able to do great things, but only as we let his power work through us. It's not about God just doing everything for you. He wants to do things through you. I keep saying all the time, we are participators with God. We can't just sit around and spectate. We have to start participating and let God do some great things in our life. Amen?
Now, one of the things that has a lot to do with what's going to happen in your future is your words. So, while we're talking about waste, let me just stop a minute and say, stop wasting your words. Stop just saying dumb stuff that's not helping you or anybody else. As a matter of fact, it could be really hurting you. Proverbs 18:21 says, the power of life and death is in the tongue. And then when it comes to talking about prudence, Proverbs 10:19 says, in a multitude of words, transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent. He who restrains his lips is a prudent person, a good manager. Proverbs 12:16 says, a fool's wrath is quickly and openly known, but a prudent man ignores an insult.
How much time do we waste in our life being angry about something that somebody said to us? And so now we're letting them steal our time and control our joy. When really we could have made the choice to just turn away from their dumbness and stay smart in our own life. Amen? Don't waste any more time being angry. Do not waste another day of your life being angry about something that you cannot do anything about. And I love this one. Proverbs 31:16. Now, Proverbs 31 is about this awesome woman, you know, that does everything right. I used to really not like her. I mean, I just couldn't hardly read Proverbs 31 because I was so far from that, that every verse just put me under condemnation. I get along a lot better with her now after 40 years in the Word.
Be Prudent with Your Commitments
Proverbs 31:16. This smart woman, she considers a new field before she buys or accepts it, expanding prudently. In other words, that means she doesn't just take on something new without seriously considering if she really can fit it into her life and still have peace. Come on. What have you said yes to lately on the spur of the moment that you've been wishing ever since you would have not said yes to? Anybody here done that recently? Yeah. Well, be more prudent. She considers a new field before she buys or accepts it, expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties. I love that.
Some people are so stinking busy, they don't have time to talk to their kids. They're so busy. Some people are so busy out making money that by the time they are ready to die, all they're going to have is a bank account. Now, can I tell you, when you're on your deathbed, you're not going to ask to see your bank balance. You're going to want your family. And so now is the time to be spending time with them and not be doing so many foolish things that you don't even have time to do the things that are really important. Thank you for your excitement.
And then I love the rest of this. With her savings of time and strength, she plants fruitful vineyards in her vineyard. Here's a lady who had some wisdom. Why? Because she used prudence. She didn't waste time. She used time to her benefit. Ephesians 5:14 through 17, Therefore, he says, awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead. I love that. So many walking dead in the world today. And Christ shall shine and make day dawn upon you and give you light. Look carefully. You know, we said what carefully means. It means to walk circumspectly, which means to walk as if you're in a dangerous place, looking all around you to make sure you don't get hurt.
Live Purposely and Wisely
Look carefully then how you walk. Live purposely and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and the witless, but as wise, sensible, intelligent people. Making the very most of your time. Just what we're talking about tonight. Making the very most of your time, buying up each opportunity, because the days in which we are living are evil. Therefore, do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understand and firmly grasp, or you might say seize, what the will of the Lord is. Be decisive. Some of you have been between two places for so long, it's pitiful. Make a decision. Make up your mind to something and start going in some direction. Well, what if I'm wrong? Well, the only way you're going to find out is to head someplace. And if you are wrong, then you can turn around and go in the other direction, which probably will be right.
In these verses, Paul tells us seven important things. In these four verses, he tells us seven important things. Be careful about our time and choices. Be an on-purpose person. That means that you don't have to wait to feel like doing what's right. You just do what's right because it's right. And because you believe that if you do what's right now, you're going to get a wonderful reward later on. Number three, he said, live a life worth living. Number four, really think about what we're choosing to do and make wise decisions. Number five, he says, don't let any opportunity pass you by. Number six, don't be vague, thoughtless and foolish. And number seven, know the will of God and firmly take hold of it.
Your Works and Eternal Reward
Our entrance into heaven is not purchased with our good works. We know that we can only have the hope of heaven because we believe in Jesus. However, the Bible does plainly say that there will be rewards for our works. Heaven is a free gift bought with the blood of Jesus. But what we're doing with our life now will be rewarded when we get to heaven. And I don't know what all that amounts to. I don't know what those rewards look like. I don't know how it's all worked out. Apparently, God doesn't want us to know yet because he hasn't told us. But all I know is if God's got a reward of any kind, I don't want to miss it.
But the Bible also says in 1 Corinthians that if the works that we do are not pure works, that we will lose the reward of them. And so just because you're busy working doesn't mean you're working at what God wants you to work at. And I want to get the reward for the works that I have done. Where did all the time go? Where did all the time go? We hear that all the time. My, my, where did all the time go? Well, the thing is, is we should know where our time is going. That's the thing. We should know what we're doing with our time. I think I mentioned this morning that one of the things that I've been doing, especially since studying all this stuff, it provoked a little project in me that I'm kind of enjoying.
Practical Ways to Stop Wasting Time
And that is, is to stop maybe, I don't know, a couple times a day. I do it for sure when I go to bed at night. And I did it this afternoon while I was getting ready. And I just kind of thought through what I had done so far today. It helps you if you stop and actually think about what am I doing with the time that I have. What am I actually doing? Otherwise, sometimes the day just goes by in a blur. And all we know at the end of the day is we didn't do what we set out to do. We're not sure what we did, but we know that we were busy all day long and it frustrated us. And how many of you feel like that a lot, to be real honest? It's like, well, see, well, you say it's all these distractions. Well, instead of blaming it on the distractions, why don't we take responsibility to not get distracted? My, time flies by. You know what, time moves at the same pace it always did. So how fast it goes must have something to do with how we choose to live it. Hmm.
So the first way to stop wasting your time is stop getting angry about things that you cannot do anything about. Don't let the devil steal your peace. Keep your peace so you can keep your power. Did you hear me? Keep your peace so you can keep your power. Second way that you can avoid wasting your time is stop complaining. It's a total waste of time. It's one of the most useless things that we can do. It changes absolutely nothing. The more we talk about our problems, the bigger they seem to get. And the more frustrated and angry we get about them. Spend the time you normally spend complaining, giving thanks. And see what God does in your life.
Number three, don't try to buy time by getting less sleep. Because here's what happens. Then you lose more time the next day because you're tired mentally and physically. So you make mistakes you wouldn't have made if you would have gotten the proper rest. I'm going to do that again. I mean, honestly, this is true. If you get good rest, then you'll be sharp tomorrow. You won't make as many mistakes as you would. And every mistake that we make costs us time. So the time you thought you were saving by not getting enough sleep, you end up wasting the next day. Thank you.
Avoid Hurry and Craving
Number four. Stop hurrying. Because that causes you to make mistakes. How many times have I been hurrying and dropped something? How many times do we get in a hurry and we lay something somewhere that we have to have before we leave and because we were in a hurry, now we don't know where we put it and we can't find it? Come on, I'm talking to somebody. Amen. Now we're all mad at everybody because we can't find our stuff. What did you do with my stuff? I'm having fun, I hope you are. Number five. I want us to look at Ecclesiastes chapter 6 verse 9 before I make this point. A good way to waste your time is to spend your life craving things that you don't have while you don't enjoy what you do have.
And here's the scripture. Better is the sight of the eyes, better is the enjoyment of what is available to one than the cravings of wandering desire. In other words, you're so much better off to take the time to enjoy what you have than to keep trying to get something else that you don't have. Look what he says. This is vanity, emptiness, falsity, and futility. It's like striving after the wind and feeding on it. Vanity, the word vanity means useless. It's useless. Tell God what you want. If it's right, he'll give it to you at the right time. And while you're waiting on him to do it, enjoy what you've got and be thankful for it. That's the only way to do it. Otherwise, your whole life passes you by while you're never living today hoping for something that you don't have.
Let Go of the Past and Deal with Little Problems
Number six. Oh, this is an important one. If you want to waste your time, just keep living in the past. Hanging on to the past is a waste of time. You can't go back and redo anything. So, let it go and get on with life. Come on, God's not finished with you yet. It's never too late to begin again. Amen? You know what Paul said, one thing I do, it's my one aspiration, forgetting what lies behind and pressing on to the things that are ahead. Some of you, this is serious business right now. Now, you need to forget some stuff from the past. You need to stop talking about it. You need to stop thinking about it. You need to let it be dead to you and you need to go on.
Number seven. Oh, I like this one. Take time to deal with little problems and you won't have to spend more time dealing with big ones. Correct your children while they're young and then you won't have a rebellious nightmare teenager. Okay, number eight. Locate the things that hijack your time and be firm in avoiding them. We only get one life. When you're 90, are you going to look back and be proud of your life? Are you going to leave a legacy for somebody else? Is somebody going to miss you when you're gone? Is the world going to miss you when you're gone?
Your Life is in Your Hands
I want to close with Psalm 119:109. And this is the point that I'm really trying to make. If you need a change, you're the one that has to make it. I love what David said in this Psalm. My life is continually in my hand. You see what he said? My life is in my hand. Yet I will not forget your law. He's saying, my life is in my hands. I can do with my life whatever I want to. And here's what I'm going to do, God. I'm not going to forget your word. And in saying, I'm not going to forget your word, he's also indicating and inferring, I will obey your word. Your life is in your hands. And you need to have that same determination. I will, by the grace of God, obey your word and live the life that you want me to live. Come on, give God a big praise.