“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.” Eph.5:15-16
Dear Reader, time is the most valuable commodity in life that we have. Do you agree with me? It’s more valuable than money. You can make more money, but you can’t make more time. When you woke up this morning, God gave you a present called “today.” And with that gift comes a responsibility. The Scripture tells us to redeem the time, to make the most of every opportunity and chance we get. That simply means we must not let time go to waste.
Yesterday ended last night. Today is a new day! Don’t live this day unfocused, unhappy, angry, complaining, worried, bitter, speaking or acting negative, discouraged, defeated or depressed. Make the most of every day. God has entrusted you with His life. He has breathed His very breath into you. He has put gifts and talents on the inside of you. You have seeds of greatness deposited in you. You’re a person of destiny and you have an assignment and a purpose to fulfill on earth.
At midnight, 31 December 2015, God handed us a New Year and a new opportunity to re-define our purpose, priorities & life vision. A New Year gives us the opportunity to re-establish worthwhile costs, to lay aside every weight and sin that easily besetting us, to refuse anything and anyone that weighs us down or distracts us from going God’s will, to be careful with relationships that lessen our hunger for God or weaken our resolve to obey His commands.
A New Year is an opportunity to bury the past and move into a new future. It is an opportunity to come closer to God and live for Him. My friend, listen! The failure, defeat, disappointment, disease, betrayal’ difficulty or discouragement of last year doesn’t matter anymore. This year begins another decade in your life – a decade of extra measure of achievements, success, favour, healing, blessings and glory. Make this year the most fruitful year of your life.
Hear me! If you are alive but sleeping spiritually, God says,” Wake up from your sleep this New Year.” If you are awake but you’re not rising up, God says, “Rise from the dead – from dead prayer life, dead Bible Study and dead in the area of obedience. Come out among the dead. It is then Christ can shine on you in 2016” (Eph 5:14). God says, “Wake up, wake up! Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful garment of purity, prayer, power and perfect praise, for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer. Rise from the dust, sit in a place of honour and remove the chains of slavery from your neck” (Isa 52:1-2)
God says, “Be very careful how you live in this New Year—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Eph 5:15-17). In other words, use your time wisely. Don’t waste your life doing things that waste your time. You’re sent to this world for a purpose. You should discover it, develop it and deploy it. That’s what success is measured by.
My friend, this message is to encourage and challenge you on how to evaluate the way you are spending your time. It’s time to refocus your life. Let go of any distractions, time wasters and vision killers. Shake off any self-pity, discouragement, disappointment of the past or any pursuit which is not of eternal value and run your race with purpose. Refuse anything that weighs you down or distracts you from doing God’s will this year.
My friend, be careful of what you sow into your life or into other people’s lives because you will always reap what you sow (Gal 6:7) As much as you give to others or give for the sake of the Gospel in 2016, that much you shall receive from God. The Bible says, “A generous person will prosper, if you refresh others, you’ll be refreshed” (Prov 11:25). Be careful of how you live and redeem the time so that you can fulfill the destiny and assignment that God has prepared for you before you were born (Eph 2:10).
My friend, if there is a time to dedicate your mind, will, and emotions to God, it is this year. Joshua said, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Josh 24:15). Did you hear that? Who would you and your family serve? This is the decision you must make this year.
It is time for us to move from a survival mentality into a position of “ruling and reigning”; from just getting by to having more than enough; from defensive to offensive and confrontation against the devil and his agents. We are not told to cope with the devil and his agents, we are commanded to resist him and he’ll flee. The devil in Africa is not different from the devil in Europe, Asia, North, South and Central America. His mandate is to steal your joy, kill your anointing and destroy your destiny, dreams and relationship.
Satan knows that you are saved by grace through faith. His goal is to separate you from your faith. He knows that it is by faith that you receive every benefit God has promised you (Heb 11:6). He knows that without faith, you cannot please God. Give no place to the devil. Submit to God totally this year! No matter what the challenge may be this year, let there be no joy loss or fluctuation in your Christianity – your purity, prayer, praise and witnessing lifestyle. Remain blessed and to be continued next week.
