Make the Most of Today

 June 5, 2024

Wednesday

Let's say that I don't ever change the oil in my car. One day the engine just stops working. It seizes up. Do I say, "Well, God is in control. He has a purpose for my ruined engine."? We must understand that God did not cause an act of our negligence. If we fail a test because we didn't study, if we do poorly preaching because we haven't prepared, if our marriage falls apart because we didn't work on it, we should not say that God had anything to do with our failure. This is the pinnacle of irresponsibility.

Too often, Christians blame God for the things that have gone on in the world that they have caused. They blame God for their dad's emphysema even though he smoked like a chimney for over forty years. They blame God for having a bad job when they haven't worked hard enough to get a better job. They say it in a way that they think proclaims God. They say, "God is in control and He knows what He is doing." While that statement is true, it does not mean that God also caused these bad things to happen.

While Christians have become saints because of the work of the Lord, each and every one of us still has a sin problem. No matter how many times we put the flesh to death, it seems to rise again. Each day is important. Each day we may sin. The failure of each day can be found in that sin.

That doesn't mean that your mother will get breast cancer because you sinned. That means that there are consequences for the sins that we commit. When we are negligent, lazy or selfish, there will be consequences and we do not need to blame God for them. We made them happen. It is the grace of God when those consequences can be corrected. We can praise Him for that.

Knowing this, we need to think about the consequences of each action. Will this act I am doing probably result in good or bad? Is it a better to change the oil in the car when it should be changed or forget about it? It is better to go to church or just lie in bed? Is it better to have my quiet time each day or just go to God when I am desperate? You know the answers. Make wise use of your time.

Ephesians 5:15–16 (NASB 2020)¹⁵ So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of your time, because the days are evil.