So, don’t worry about these things, saying, "What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?" These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:31-34
So, what are you actually thinking about in regard to making changes in your "use of time" in 2023? Have you ever committed yourself to a lifetime of using your time to live to satisfy God and not yourself? How has that been going for you? Have you ever embraced the challenging pursuit of discovering what God wants in each moment you face. How has that been going for you? We are talking about a lifestyle here. Today's Scripture depicts this same lifestyle through a consideration of our relationship with the "kingdom of God."
Think of it this way: God is the King, and we are members of his kingdom because we have put our faith in Christ for forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation. As members of God's kingdom, we have an intimate love relationship with God our King. Through this relationship he is transforming us into people who live like kingdom members (Christlike) and do not live like those who are not kingdom members. Kingdom members help each other in the following ways: becoming good at having and maintaining an intimate relationship with the king; sticking at the process of being transformed into Christ-like kingdom members; and blessing those outside the kingdom in ways that help them enter into the kingdom as well.
Having a lifestyle where we make the "kingdom" our top priority is the key to "using our time" in ways that count for eternity. It doesn't mean that we have a total disregard for the basic human needs of life and the "use of time" associated with them. It just means that our priorities have been put in order, our trust is in God, and we are learning to manage well the tension of seeking to live life as a member of God's kingdom in the middle of all the things associated with living life here on earth.
Lord, your kingdom come, you will be done in my life here on earth. Give me this day my daily bread and deliver me from overdoing it with the time and concern I invest in such things. Lord, truly yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen!
