Even though we are told to live by faith (Romans 1:17), we are also expected to take responsibility for what we can. Rather than being impulsive—the opposite of using forethought—we should act with the end in mind.

Humans are bound by time. Being aware of time is one important way that we are different than animals. Some people have a very keen sense of time—they typically know what time it is, approximately how much time has passed, and how long an activity might take. Whether a keen sense of time is your superpower or not, humans can be mindful of time. In fact, how well we do so can be life-changing.

When we are aware of time, we’re better able to manage it. In fact, we are expected to make good use of our time here on earth. Paul reminds us of this in Romans 13:11 when he writes, “knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (King James Version). We all have a limited supply of time, so we must make the most of it.

Only Humans Have Forethought

Fortunately, God has granted us ways to manage time. He gave us a memory to recall events in the past. He also gave us forethought—the ability to think ahead to what might happen in the future. Psychologist Albert Bandura developed a theory called social cognitive learning, highlighting the gift of forethought as a principal tenet. Bandura described forethought “as the process of applying thought to an action to achieve desired goals” (2001). Forethought allows us to envision an outcome and take actions to achieve it. You could say that forethought is a type of mind travel—we can imagine ourselves in the future and set goals to get there.

The word forethought is also in the Bible as the Greek word pronoia, which also translates to “foresight,” “provision” or “care.” Having forethought means paying attention and being careful to prepare for the future. Proverbs 6:6-8 states, “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.” So, even though we are told to live by faith (Romans 1:17), we are also expected to take responsibility for what we can. Rather than being impulsive—the opposite of using forethought—we should act with the end in mind. We can ask God to guide us to use the past and present to prepare ourselves for the future we envision.

Using the Past and Present to Build a Future

Our ability to remember the past helps us to use what we have experienced to make better use of the present and the future. Our current culture tends to promote living in the moment, to be comfortable right now and not concerned about what might come. Messages such as “take it easy” and “don’t worry about it” are common. But ignoring the past and future is not good time management. While some folks suffer from living in the past, we cannot change the past. Others may spend too much time worrying about the future and feeling anxious about things that haven’t happened yet. With a balanced approach, we can manage the present by learning from the past while preparing for the future; maximizing the then and now, for a potentially better next.

One way to think about the future is to divide that unknown amount of time into segments. We should consider what could happen soon in our near future and what could happen farther down the road in our far future. We can focus forward in time with the hope that God will guide us to maximize our potential. Ultimately, our far future goal should be to live in God’s kingdom, but there are many decisions to make both today and in the near future while we prepare for that far future time. We are told in Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Careful goal-setting and God’s assistance are a great combination for establishing a solid game plan.

Now Is the Time to Make Plans

Examples of near-future possibilities might include making summer plans, considering courses to take for your senior year, or getting into shape to run a half-marathon. When we consider finding a summer job or joining a community arts program, we are making short-term plans and setting goals for the near future. Goal-setting on a regular basis helps us maximize the time immediately before us. If we don’t consider how to use our near-future time, we can lag in the present and miss out on growth opportunities down the road. We have all likely lost out on opportunities because we did not plan ahead. Perhaps you delayed in registering to join the softball league, waited too long to look for a part-time job, or found out a course was no longer open. It can be difficult to make comparable alternate plans at the last minute.

As these examples suggest, our near futures can be full of opportunities, or they can be rather meager because we did not plan well. A common regret in this regard is not continuing piano or other music lessons and later wishing we could play an instrument as a hobby or service to others. If we set goals for our near futures, we can expect to accumulate experiences that can point us farther, to our far futures.

Our Near Futures Support Our Far Futures

Our far futures might include post-secondary training, whether college courses, technical training, or learning a trade. We may end up traveling a lot as part of a job, which would be enhanced by having already taken several years of foreign language study. We might also anticipate that a far future could include long, strong relationships, including marriage. We should ask ourselves how what we do in the present and near future can prepare us for success in the far future: Do we practice being a good friend with our peers now so that we might be more ready to make a life-long friendship later on?

Making good use of the near future can help us stack skills, attitudes and experiences that will strengthen us in the far future. If we use the present and near future to read good books, practice important skills and establish strong friendships, we can be better prepared to live well over the course of our lives. People who practice God’s way should be able to not merely survive but thrive—now and beyond. We should be busy using our time to equip ourselves with ways to thrive. Ephesians 5:15-16 challenges us to live carefully and wisely, “redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Anticipating Future Opportunities

In addition to setting goals, to manage our time well, we should say “yes” to opportunities and say “no” to temptations, including time-wasting, pointless activities. Being more mindful of what comes next can help us make better use of our present. Diligently think about how what you are doing now will matter in the near future and then in the far future.

Our physical time is limited. We should value it dearly and use it wisely because the ultimate goal for Christians is actually the far, far future—being with God as His saved children in His kingdom. We should be both encouraged and challenged to be futuristic, living now with purpose while anticipating the future. 1 Timothy 6:19 (KJV) describes people doing this as “laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

Let’s be mindful of the physical, limited time we have and use it wisely—learning from our past, growing in the present and preparing for our future.

CC by Kit Mohr