If you have the power to bring back time or go back to your past activities where you have failed on whatever, what will you change? what will you do or not do?
Often, most of the regrets we have today are the results of our wrong decision. Regrets are real. Maraming tao ang nauuwi sa panghihinayang sa kanilang buhay because they played their life and wasted it. In the end, they realized na they have missed living the full life and missed the life Himself – The Lord Christ Jesus (John 14:6).
As Christians, we must see what is worthy or not in this life so that our decisions and actions will not be in vain and will give honor to God and joy to us. Because the Christian life is NOT a game to play, but a well-meaning (worthy and rewarding) adventure with God and for God in Christ.
Remember, A wasted life is a lost life.
So let’s ask ourselves, what should we do then to achieve this well-meaning and worthy life with God and for God? and “How NOT to play our life”?
Let me give you three practical and biblical encouragement that are helpful on how not to play our life.
1. Do Not Waste Your Time
The Bible reminds us about the value of time and the sin of squandering it. Maximizing our time to the fullest is a sign of prudence.
Ang oras na sinasayang ay buhay na nasasayang. A wasted life is due to a wasted time.
Ephesians 5:15-17 says, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
This tells us that we must “redeem” or “take advantage” of our given time or opportunity to accomplish the will of God to us.
A wise man uses his time properly and for God. A foolish person misuses his time and not using for God. We cannot bring the time when it’s Gone. We cannot add another 6 hours to our 24 hours for a day. Time is a gift from God. If we don’t take care of it, we will lose it.
Whatever activities we make, kailangan nating i-take advantage ang oras natin properly for our good and for God.
Maybe tatanungin mo na “How about leisure, vacation, relaxation time? Doesn’t it mean we don’t have to have leisure time? Is that a waste of time? Well, the answer is YES and NO! We all need to relax and have a break. But if it is too much to the point of not working or doing something worthy of time and honor of God, it is a waste of time.
How about Gaming? Why not, what kind of Game? or how much time do you spend?
Certainly, as we do this, may mga araw na we failed to use our time. That’s normal. But what we are aiming for is to grow in proper handling and balancing of our time for God’s will. Ingatan mo ang oras para di natin masambit ang mga katagang “I wish I have more time”, “I wish I didn’t do that, or I wish I took that chance” because we have just played with our time.
2. Delight Yourself in God (In Jesus Christ and Spirit)
An interesting fact, the word “delight” or “to delight in” חָפֵץ (ḥāpēṣ), appeared 70x in the Old Testament. “Delight” “often refers to “taking joy” or “pleasure” in something or someone. It is sometimes synonymous with the verbs “to love” and “to be pleased.”
In other words, to “Delight in God” is to “enjoy God,” or “find Joy in God” by knowing whom He is, experiencing his presence in Spirit, and seeing his beauty. “Satisfaction in God”, “enjoying God”, “adoring God”, and “loving our God.”
When you love someone or something, you cannot help yourself but feel joy, satisfaction, and happiness and want more of it and give more to it. This is like our relationship with God.
Kamaha-mahang malaman na ang salitang ito ay ginamit to reflect our joy and pleasure in a 3-dimensional view of the LORD like,
a) Delighting in the Person of God (His nature, being, and for who He is),
b) Delighting in the Works of God (His general revelation) and
c) Delighting in the Word of God (His divine revelation).
Sabi sa Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the LORD (YAHWEH), and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
The Psalmist says, enjoy the Person of God. Natatagpuan niya ang lubos na kagalakan at kaaliwan sa Diyos na si Yahweh. Same with us Christians. We delight in Yahweh as well because we have Christ Jesus in our lives as our ultimate joy and treasure.
We also delight in His WORKS (for what He did, He is doing, & will do) (cf. Psa. 94:19; 111:2; 119:24, 174). Sa psalm 111:2 “Great are the works of the LORD; They are studied by all who delight in them.”
Walang sayang na buhay kung tayo ay magagalak sa mga dakilang gawa ng Diyos na buhay. Continue to enjoy God’s artistic creation and most specially our salvation in Christ and sanctification in Spirit and His word.
Speaking of His word, we also delight in His WORD (what He said in the Bible/Scriptures about Him and All) (Cf. Psa.1:2; 40:8; 119:16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 92, 143, 174).
Psalm 1:1-2 “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law, he meditates day and night.”
Psa. 119:35 “Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it.”
Not only that, but the New Testament also says in John 14:21a “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me…” and John 14:23-24 “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word…”“He who does not love Me does not keep My words…”
Delighting in God is loving his WORD. If we love Jesus, we will definitely love His word because His word reveals who He is. When you grow in knowing Him in the scriptures, you get closer and love more our God in Christ. We cannot love and enjoy someone we do not know well.
And when we love and delight in Him it entails actions and obedience. Because we obey, honor, and follow whom we love.
Meron bang sayang na buhay sa ganitong larawan? Certainly, this kind of life is not life being played or wasted. It’s a life being enjoyed and fulfilled in God.
3. Devote Yourself to God’s Will and Mission
When we found our joy and meaning in Christ, there is nowhere to go but to follow and fulfill His calling in us whatever happens.
There is no turning back. The life of the Apostle Paul is an example of a life devoted to God’s mission. His life was not wasted. He used his remaining time wisely; he enjoyed God’s grace in Christ, and he completed the mission that Christ our Lord entrusted to him.
Masasabi nating sulit na sulit ang buhay ni Apostol Pablo para sa Panginoong Hesus.
Acts 18:4-5 “And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.”
The idea is “complete devotion”, or “preoccupied” with something bigger than us, bigger than our imagination.
The Apostle Paul knew what’s his mission, that is to Proclaim the WORD of Salvation, to herald Christ’s name, and to bring the Gospel to the ends of the world as much as he can.
Live your life well
We only have one life to live today. There is no undoing or control z once things happen. Kaya huwag nating laruin ang buhay whether you are old or young people. Life is too short to waste but it is not too short not to enjoy it and use it for God’s glory.
Failures are part of growing up and getting old. They are necessary elements to gain more wisdom. Likewise, failures and regrets can be avoided too by choosing to maximize our God-given time, by delighting in God, and by devoting our life to the will, word, and mission of God in Christ in our lives.
So, what is your response to the message? How can you improve your time management, develop your delight in God and grow your passion for God’s mission?
Come to Christ and be saved.