Stewarding the Time

Introduction

If you knew your death date, would it change the way you live? What would you do with your life? What would you not do?

There is a blessing and anxious laden curse as we think about his. We would be more direct with how time is spent, yet as the day of death drew near the fear of the unknown would settle in

In 2020, Kobe Bryant (star basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers) went on a routine plane ride with his daughter to a basketball camp. Little did he know that this would be the last plane ride he would ever take. He died at the age of 41, only 4 years into retirement. If we would have known the outcome ahead of time, he would not have went on that plane ride. Further, if he knew his death date, he would have spent his retirement years differently

Why look to stewarding time first in this short series? Because looking at the stewarding of time sets the stage for how we use the talents and treasures that God has given

We know of the many distractions around us, but how do we best use/manage the time that God has given us?

In Delight and Pleasure (vv.7-9)

It is good to take delight and pleasure in what God has given us. It is good to steward time in this direction. The warning is the rich fool of Luke 12:15-21 who spent all his time consumed by the blessings bestowed upon him

Three means of pleasure… food and drink, clothes and oil, wife. Generally these means of pleasure are at the hands of one’s labor

The question is… ‘Does my enjoyment and time spent upon these reflect a heart that is vertically focused and fixed?’

Solomon is an example of this in Ecclesiastes 2:4-10. He is blessed with many possessions but he is not consumed by them. Nor does he fix all of his time and attention to them

Food is good to enjoy and God delights in my enjoying what He has made and blessed me with. Yet I must be wary that I not eat too much honey as Proverbs 25:16 warns

Not only possessions am I to not spend all my time upon, but in my marriage relationship. As good as Krystle is, I mustn’t be consumed to spend all my time with her and neglect the children, nor the home I have been given, nor the flock of God He has called me to shepherd. Remembering Luke 20:34-35 is helpful for Jesus speaks to the Sadducees that the widow of 7 men will not marry in heaven because marriage is not there. However, it is good for me to enjoy marriage as God has given it to mankind

Before the fall into sin, Yahweh God created marriage. It was a part of all that He called ‘good’

But how does the single person apply verse 9? Several ways, 1. Be prepared if God calls you to marry, 2. Already be working toward stewarding your time to the glory of God, 3. Enjoy the relationships God has given you now in hope filled preparation that God will give you a wife

Diligently, not slothfully (v.10)

Verse 10 is general to every human being (although Solomon is clearly speaking to men- Ecclesiastes 6:1, 6-7)

Ruth is an example of using her hands in a diligent manner (Ruth 2:7, 17-18)

The woman of Proverbs 31:13-24 is another example of a woman diligently using her time well in a working manner

What I cannot do with verse 10 is apply it to every deed that is done. For example, it would be wrong of me to say, “I am going to watch football all day today and I will do so with all my might because there is no football in Sheol (or the grave). Video games, eating, drinking, etc… also apply here as warnings for us

What then is verse 10 pointing too? Consider 1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” as we ask this question. Is how you steward your time in accordance with this verse? This we all must honestly ask ourselves

Hebrews 13:15-16 speaks of this diligence as the author uses words like “continually” and “do not neglect.” These bring forth a full usage of time to the well-being of others

A part of stewarding time well is determining what tasks (although many may be a good use of time) are the best and most qualitative use of my time

Stewarding time with great diligence is seeing that time spent is not primarily for the good of men, but the glory of God (Colossians 3:23-24)

Because death comes to all (and is sometimes unexpected) (vv.11-12)

A third reason to steward time well is because death comes for all men. This Solomon speaks to in verses 11-12

Multiple commentators read verse 11 to say that the quickest don’t always win the race, the strong don’t always win the battle, the wise person who stores bread is not guaranteed to eat of it, and the one who uses money well does not guarantee a life of lax and luxury

This may seem cruel of God and may seem pointless. Yet, the reality is that in verse 11 we see that time goes on and unfortunate things happen. Consider Judas who betrayed the Lord for 30 pieces of silver. Did he ever get to spend that money? No.

Or consider how this world values health and does whatever it can to defy time and age. In 2018, “the parents of Katharine Gallagher said she was a healthy, vibrant 27-year-old woman when she suddenly died after contracting the flu and then developing pneumonia last month (December). The Southern California woman went to urgent care on a Sunday, and by 6 p.m. the following Tuesday, she was dead.” (https://wgntv.com/news/nobody-ever-thinks-it-will-happen-to-them-27-year-old-woman-dies-after-catching-flu/0)

Just because you are healthy does not mean that you are guaranteed to live tomorrow. This is why we must consider how we steward our time! When I ask what I am going to do tomorrow, I respond in this way. “Tomorrow? I hope to make it through today. I could fall out the front door, hit my head and die.”

But we don’t think this way! O, if we took seriously James 4:14 which reads, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”

In a positive light, Scripture gives us the example of Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:25-38) who spent their lives worshipping the Lord and did not stop in their older years. Now, this does not mean that all they ever did was worship God. They lived lives and enjoyed what God had given them. But their first priority was worshipping God

The best way to steward this day, and every other that we are given, is to first, foremost, and with all our might WORSHIP GOD

Is it wrong to live today as it could be my last? No! Consider the two pictures that the Preacher gives in verse 12. The fish and the bird tell us the same story. Day after day the fish swims in the same pond and year after year the bird migrates to the same place. But one day, unbeknownst to them, and all of a sudden a net comes to swallow up the fish and the trap is set to capture the bird, and for you and me, all of a sudden, death comes!

Consider how quickly Enoch was taken to heaven. Genesis 5:24 suddenly says, “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” Did Enoch use his days well? Yes! For Hebrews 11:5 tells us, “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for prior to being taken up, he was approved as being pleasing to God.” We must be ready, for death could come at any time

Conclusion

How different we would all live if we didn’t take for granted the time that God has given to us on this earth! Time is a precious commodity that will not last forever on this earth. For one day, as verse 10 says, we will be heading to Sheol (KJV- the grave)

So, young and old, does this make you think any differently as to how you will spend the rest of this day? I plead with you, do not make worship this morning your only time before the Lord, but make worshipping God the very stamp of your life!

How do we steward time well? Here are a few ways...

I. Worship God first. You have heard it said that if I don’t do whatever the thing is now, I won’t do it later. We do this with worship too

II. Pray that you would steward your day according to God’s will. Have you thought of this? God’s providence and sovereignty rule over each day for this is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice in it. Stewarding time well each day must be grounded upon praying to God to help you do it

III. Enjoy what God has given you all the days of your fleeting life. Do not walk around head down and depressed when God has blessed you richly

IV. Thank the Lord for the time He has given you. You have not earned it, nor do you deserve it. But it is by His grace alone that you are able to enjoy this day, steward it well, and like Enoch, live in a pleasing way before God

Benediction

Philippians 4:20 “Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”