How Are You Using Your Time?

Time Is Either Invested or Wasted—Which One Are You Doing?

Let’s talk about something we all claim we don’t have enough of: time.

How often do you hear people say, “I don’t have time for that”? Or maybe you’ve caught yourself saying it, too. But the truth is, we all have the same 24 hours. The difference? Some people invest their time, while others waste it.

Jesus made this clear in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). A master entrusted three servants with different amounts of wealth before leaving on a journey. Two of them put what they were given to work and doubled their portion. The third? He buried his talent; he did nothing with it.

Time is just like that talent. You’ve been given a priceless resource, and what you do with it matters. Are you multiplying your time by using it wisely, or are you burying it in distractions, procrastination, and excuses?

Let’s break this down.

Recognize That Time Is a Gift

Time isn’t something you can earn more of, it’s given to you daily. And just like the talents in the parable, you’re expected to manage (or steward) it well.

We live in a culture that glorifies busyness, but busyness doesn’t always mean productivity. You can fill your day with endless tasks and still accomplish nothing. The goal is to do what’s meaningful.

🔶 Ask yourself: Am I treating my time as a valuable gift, or am I just letting it pass by?

📌 Action Step: Track how you’re spending your time for the next three days. (This is called a time audit.) Where is it going? What’s actually producing results?

Stop Burying Your Time in Distractions

The servant who buried his talent wasn’t lazy, he was afraid. He was afraid of failing, afraid of taking risks, and afraid of responsibility. Sound familiar?

A lot of people don’t mismanage their time because they’re careless, they mismanage it because they’re avoiding something.

• They procrastinate because they’re afraid they won’t do something perfectly.

• They overcommit because they’re afraid to say no.

• They scroll endlessly because facing reality feels overwhelming.

The result? Time gets buried.

🔶 Fact: Every minute you spend avoiding your calling is a minute you won’t get back.

📌 Action Step: Identify your biggest time-waster. Is it social media, unnecessary meetings, or lack of planning? Set a boundary today to cut it down.

Invest Your Time with Intention

The two servants who multiplied their talents didn’t just keep busy, they made intentional choices that led to growth.

Investing your time well means: 

✅ Prioritizing what matters most instead of what’s urgent 

✅ Setting clear goals and breaking them into actionable steps 

✅ Saying no to distractions that don’t serve your vision

If you’re always reacting to life instead of being proactive with your time, you’ll always feel like you’re behind. The goal is to use time on purpose, not just let it slip through your fingers.

📌 Action Step: Each morning, write down the one thing that absolutely needs to get done that day. Do it first.

Steward Your Time Like You Steward Your Finances

Think about how you handle money. Would you spend everything recklessly without a plan? Probably not. Time should be treated the same way.

You wouldn’t hand over your bank account to just anyone, so why hand over your schedule to distractions, interruptions, or things that don’t align with your purpose?

Time management is about stewardship. When you manage time wisely, you create room for: 

✅ Deep, focused work 

✅ Meaningful relationships 

✅ Rest and renewal 

✅ Strategic growth

🔶 Pro Tip: If something isn’t adding value to your life or work, it’s taking value away.

📌 Action Step: Schedule your time like you budget your money. Decide where your hours will go before the day starts.

Take Accountability for How You Spend Your Time

At the end of the Parable of the Talents, the master returns and asks for an account of what was done with the resources he gave. Two servants multiplied their talents and were rewarded. The third? He made excuses and lost everything.

One day, you’ll have to give an account of how you used your time. Did you multiply it and produce results? Or did you bury it in distractions, fear, or indecision?

🔶 Hard truth: You’re not “too busy”, you’re just choosing where your time goes.

📌 Action Step: Take ownership. If you’ve been mismanaging time, admit it and adjust now.

Time Is Either an Investment or a Loss

At the end of the day, time is a gift, but it’s also a test.

The way you use your time today determines the results you’ll see tomorrow.

You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be intentional. Stop burying time in fear and distractions. Start using it to build something that lasts.

📌 Challenge: This week, commit to being intentional with your time. Eliminate distractions, prioritize what matters, and multiply what God has given you.

Because time, like the talents, was never meant to be buried.

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