21 Days to Clarity, Day 10: Make the Most of Every Opportunity

For Day 9, Click here


“One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time.”

~John Piper

Time. The time right now is 5:16 a.m. I’m up at this crazy hour writing because this is one of my New Year’s Resolutions: To get as little sleep as possible.


I mean, to get up early each day and write.

I know it drives some of you bonkers, but I love New Year’s and all the resolution-making. I’m a goal-setter by nature, so it’s like God created New Year’s just for me. New vision, fresh perspective and clear focus. I love riding the wave of momentum created by a country setting new goals. Grandiose, perhaps. But this whole resolution thing gets my blood pumping.

I’ve spent much of my two-week blogging break contemplating where God is leading me in 2010 and what He is asking me to do to get there. I had what I thought was a hodge-podge of mismatched goals. I kept praying, “God, last year was my Year of Yes. It had so much purpose. So much rhythm. Can’t you give me another cool theme that’s fun to say?”

I got nothing. That is, until my pastor used the John Piper quote at church yesterday morning. Here it is again:

“One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time.”

(Can I just interject a bit of irony here? This quote apparently came to my pastor from John Piper by way of Twitter. I just think that’s funny.)

God was leading me somewhere and this quote was key. When I got home from church, I sat down with my list of growing resolutions and my ironic John Piper quote, and I dug into the Bible. There, I found this, the God-glue that holds all my mismatched resolutions together. The scripture that goes on the neon-pink index card above my coffee maker for the remainder of the year:

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16

Each morning, God hands me twenty-four hours. A valuable resource I can only use one time. A resource I’ve spent on too much “Sandy” and too little “God.” This year, He is asking me to do just the opposite. This year, He is asking me to make the best possible use of it and all the other resources He has given me.

As I looked through my list of goals for the year, I saw that common theme—to make the most of every single opportunity—whether it be my time, my health, my money or my relationships. God is asking me to seize the day (the year?) and use it for Him.

Can you stand reading one more list of New Year’s Resolutions? Cuz, here’s mine.

Writing:

1. To get up early and write every morning—or as many days as possible—before the kids wake up.

2. To submit at least one piece a week for publication outside of God Speaks Today.

3. To pray for all the readers, followers and subscribers of God Speaks Today every single day (that's YOU!).

4. To continue to pursue publication for "Taken By Storm" (my latest book manuscript) until God tells me to stop.

Spiritual:

1. To become a woman of prayer. To make use of idle time by praying for others and myself.

2. To stay involved in a group Bible Study, either taking one or teaching one.

3. To start off the year by joining my church in a seven-day fast.

Relationships:

1. To continue to be completely present when interacting with my children.

2. To make friendships with other women a priority.

3. To seek out other like-minded women and/or ministries to join with me in the vision of God Speaks Today.

Fitness:

1. To add 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise to whatever I’m already doing every day.

2. To lose one pound a week for the next six weeks.

Financial:

1. To do my part as home manager by using the resources we already have, repairing things that are broken and making the best possible use of every penny God has given us.

2. To be an extravagant giver.

We’ll unpack this more throughout the year. But know, for today, that making the most of every opportunity is a direct line to clarity. Any thoughts as to why this is true? I’d love for you to chime in here. (hint: Read Ephesians 5:17)