Ephesians 5:16 // Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.
The Bible tells us that when we compare the length of our life to that of eternity, it is just a vapor. It’s short and flies by us no matter how much we pray for it to slow down. We can’t make more of it, and unfortunately, tend to waste more than actually invest.
When it comes to the concept of time, the Apostle Paul says that it is very important for us to redeem it as much as possible. Not spend it or waste it, but redeem it. The word redeem literally means to put time back where it belongs. It means to prioritize our time knowing that our days here on earth are numbered and as Paul describes: evil.
Time is not something we should ever believe we have an abundance of. God is very clear that we should make every day count as though it is our very last.
It’s important to know that what you and I order in life will determine our capacity. More often than not, the order of our day begins with a ton of distractions. Studies show that we are distracted almost every three minutes, which is why we tend to look back at our days and wonder what in the world did we do with our time. Our minds are wired for distraction, which is why it is so vital to begin each day giving God the first order and place of our time. When we make time with Him our highest core value, He provides us the wisdom to steward our time, and to make a greater impact with it.
Setting a new precedent with our time and how we can maximize it better by putting God first protects us from waste. In fact, it helps us stop over-estimating the time we have tomorrow, and helps us under-estimate and appreciate what we have available to us today. Once you embrace the simple fact that eternity is forever, heaven is real and hell is hot, the idea of redeeming the time becomes so much easier.
Let’s make God’s kingdom today a renewed focus for our life. Let’s have a sense of urgency about putting His values first, and less of an urgency about things that really aren’t that important. What should be important today is our time in worship, our time in prayer, our time spent with our family, and our time serving a world that is desperately in need of hope.
Let’s agree to no longer put off what needs to get done today. Let’s begin redeeming our time and watch how God increases our productivity in every area of our lives.
God-First Life
Day 17 of 21 Days of Prayer
*This devotional is from A God First Life, written by Pastors Michael and Charla Turner
