And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. (Romans 13:11)

Three Things To Do Today

Daily schedules and calendars help keep a busy life organized. Books have been written on how to plan the activities of a day, week, month, and year. Planners are bought up each year to keep up with all the schedules of a busy life. With the advent of technology, most planning is done on the smartphone, with constant reminders of when an event occurs. Today can be a stressful time with so much to keep up with. When Paul wrote to the Romans, he had a busy schedule even without today’s smart technology. Many things were going on in Paul’s life and the daily struggles of the first-century Christians. One of the characteristics of the word of God is how applicable it is to each generation. Technology has changed, but the need to take one day at a time is always present.

Paul’s focus for the Roman Christians was not so much the need to set a daily program for success in life as it was to be mindful of the purpose of life in eternity. He summed up a program of eternal success in one sentence. There are three things (there are many more) Paul wanted the Christians to examine and focus on in life. Following these guidelines will help make anyone’s life more productive and fuller. A successful life begins with knowing the time. The first thing to do each day is to know the time or season. Life is short, and without carefully considering the brevity of life, decisions can be made that will impact eternity. Each day should begin with the knowledge that it could be the last. This is not to be viewed depressingly but the realization of how much close each day brings one to eternity and glory.

A careful man will always be conscious of the time he has and how little time he has left. Each day is a valuable asset in the bank of life. Every minute is a deposit in the future and must be thought of carefully with eternity in view. Knowing the time and season means understanding how to utilize the opportunities that will never come again. The only day that a man has is the present. What has transpired before (yesterday) can never be unchanged. The hopes of the future remain elusive to tomorrow. What is real is what is now. That is all God has given. Knowing the time is to understand how important today is.

When the heart sees each day as the precious time allotted by God, the consciousness must awaken to the work God has placed before man. The sleep Paul refers to is the spiritual apathy and lethargic way so many people go through life. Those who seek the gain of material things, the pleasures of life, and fame will find a wasted life with no hope or peace. It is important to see the value of the day at hand and to be busy with all things that prepare for eternity. Paul wants the brethren to awaken from the sleep that will dampen their spirits and cause them to be ineffective in the work of the kingdom. There is so much to do and so little time to do it. People who are of the day are workers. Work for the night is coming when no man works.

Finally, each day must begin with remembering that a new dawn draws every soul closer to eternity. Birthdays are remembered with joy because they are days to celebrate. Each year, the body grows older, and the journey to the grave is shorter. For the Christian, this is a blessing. There was a time when the heart was impacted by the gospel of Jesus Christ and, through faith, obeyed the gospel. In the waters of baptism, sins were washed away, and the new soul rose with the hope of heaven. As the years multiply from that first time of belief, eternity draws closer. Salvation is nearer with each passing day. When a man first believes, he has his whole life ahead of him. Today, it is high time to stop living like the world and live knowing that eternity is near.

Three things to think about each day: reflect upon the time of life, awaken to the work that must be done, and rejoice that salvation is nearer than before. Paul exhorts the brethren to do this. Know the time and act accordingly. Making this a daily goal is making each day a productive day to the glory of God. By the time you finish reading this short article, you will have drawn that much closer to eternity. Are you ready? Do you know the time? Are you redeeming the time? Lord, come quickly.