Don't Waste Your Life

Big Idea:  

A well-lived life is not about how much knowledge or wealth we can obtain for ourselves, but how we become great stewards of the life God has given us. Not everyone is given the same set of circumstances, but we are all given the same amount of time. We have the great privilege of choosing how we steward our lives. Over the course of this study, we will look at ways we can become better managers of the time and resources God has entrusted us with.

Key Scriptures:

• Matthew 25:14-30

The 3 Pillars Of a Life Well Lived

1. Availability: Prepare For the Journey (The Parable of the Ten Virgins)

God cannot use what we do not prepare. It is not enough to rely on your parents, spouse, or even a Sunday morning service to pour oil into your personal relationship with the Lord. We cannot expect to live a life of holiness in the dark if we do not prepare in the daytime. You must bring your own oil.

Matthew 25:7-9: “Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’”

Question: How are you stewarding your opportunity to live a life in a relationship with the Holy Spirit?

2. Ability: Take Advantage of the Time (The Parable of the Talents)

It’s not about how much you’ve been given. Everyone is given different portions, but each person has the same hours in a day. What do you choose to do with the time you’ve been given? Your availability to steward your life is more important than your ability. When those who are given the least deal faithfully with what is entrusted to them, God gives them more to manage. 

Question: What are some ways that you personally steward the gift(s) God has given you? Were there obstacles along the way? If so, how did you overcome them? 

3. Application: Live like the Master (The Final Judgment)

What you think of God determines what you do with the time and resources He gives you. Our view of God will either produce faith in us or paralyze us in fear. When you know His character, you trust that He is a loving and generous God. John 10:27 says, “My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me.” We will live like God because we trust Him. He is setting you up for a life of fulfillment, not fear and failure.

Question: What are you doing with the life God has given you? Do you trust that He can give you a life of abundance?

Action Steps: 

1. God is generous, so live generously. 
2. God is love, so live lovingly.
3. Trust that God has given you all that you need.