Session 1

Make a difference

From Ecclesiastes: A 20-Day Devotional

Your life will be wasted. That can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the decisions you are making right now.

After a long but productive day at work, we feel tired, done, wasted. But, what a sweet feeling to know you put in the work and will see the benefits, whether it’s a raise or just the feeling of a job well done. Then there are the times when we face a looming work deadline but spend all morning on Facebook. Time wasted. How you spend your time today determines your tomorrow. 

How you spend your time today determines your tomorrow. 

Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes and Proverbs, fell into a routine of wasting his days. To outsiders, Solomon seemed to have it all together. He spent his time acquiring women and money. Building projects were erected in his honor. He was a king, after all, so how bad could life be? Then you read Ecclesiastes and realize how hopelessly depressed Solomon became.

A life well wasted is not spent feeding our own desires. A life well wasted is spent loving God and loving others. What would happen if we spent our time and energy making a difference instead of just making money?

Our life will be wasted in pursuit of God, or it will be wasted in pursuit of lesser things. There is no other option. At the end of your life, when everything is said and done, will you be able to look back at a trail of lives that have been impacted for eternity, or will you see old cars, old homes and bank accounts filled with money that will be given to someone else to spend?

Reflect:

• If your life was over today, how would you feel about the way you spent your time?
• What does a life in pursuit of God look like?
• What decision do you need to make today to live a life that makes a difference?