In The Serenity Prayer column each month we’re studying this well-known prayer phrase by phrase and applying it to our life today. These columns will be published the first Friday of each month in 2019.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time…
The Third Act of life
Having reached my 60’s I’ve lived more of life than I have left to live. So the brevity of life is a serious issue. I’m much more aware of the amount of time that I’ve wasted over the years and I don’t want to lose any opportuinities to do what God wants me to do.
These are evil times, so make every minute count. ~ Ephesians 5:16
In the verse quoted above the Apostle Paul warns us that our world is an evil place and can easily distract us from what is most important. No one is going to monitor our time for us. It is up to us to guard how we spend the precious moments we’ve been given every day.
The Social Media Time Suck
The era of radio and television were seen as such a waste of time for the adults who had grown up without any media at all. Television was and still is a huge time waster for many. However, there was never a bigger amount of time being wasted than what we’re experience in this Social Media driven culture of today! I’ve caught myself preparing a Social Media post for my ministry accounts and found I’ve lost almost an hour of my morning! What’s the solution?
Be Intentional with Your Time
Guarding my time and slowing my pace of living starts at the beginning of each day. Rising most days between 3-4am gives me a good 4 hours to prepare my heart, mind and body. This allows me time for yoga/meditation/prayer time, devotional/Bible reading, walking the dogs, and a healthy breakfast before time to walk to the bus for work or whatever I need to do that day.
Choose Your Energy Source Carefully
I believe in having strong boundaries on my inputs. Refusing to watch of listen to mainstream media/news sources not only protects my time for better uses but keeps my mind in a healthier state. During my bus commute time I try to make good use of that time by listening to a sermon podcast or some inspirational music to get me energized for my day.
Time Marches On
It’s been said that time waits for no one. And as I stated last month, the older we get, the faster time goes by. Our years are made of months, weeks, days, hours and moments. By turning that order around, being more aware of the time we have and making sure we use each increment of time wisely, we will be less likely to look up and have regrets later in life.
This moment is all we have. Let’s try to use it how God wants us to.
Still your heart and mind. Listen for God’s voice. Contemplate just this moment as you listen to a beautiful worship song by Lifepoint Music.
