TIME

 

Ephesians 5:15-16 / See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Time....we all are given the same amount everyday. Twenty-four hours to move forward in journey called life.  Some day's time seems like it has been strapped to the back of a turtle. It creeps along.....it moves like molasses...it takes forever. How many times have I thought to myself, "Will this day never end?"

But then there are days when times seems to be a supersonic rocket reaching mach 6 and beyond. Such days as this time seems to be controlling us...rushing us....pushing us to the limit.

Truth is time is a constant. It never changes. Only my perception of the speed (or lack of speed) of time changes. The verse from Ephesians seems to put time in perspective for me. 

#1 - God has called us to live our daily lives in a certain manner. Not haphazardly, running around like a chicken with its legs cut off. We have been called to walk "circumspectly". Strong's Concordance defines circumspectly as "exactly w/ no deviation." It means to walk diligently, or with a purpose, and it means to walk "perfectly", or one having maturity. In other words, God wants us to grow up before we grow older. 

#2 - Taking this to heart, God calls us to "redeem" the time we have. Here again Strong's defines this as "taking back" or "rescuing". In other words, we have been called to not let the devil or his minions draw us into wasting time. Wasting time means that we use it according to our own desires and wishes rather than asking God what would He have us do with the time we have been given.

The part we have to be careful with in "redeeming" the time is that we don't become super religious. In other words, life becomes more about how we look to others than it does about how God wants us to be about His Kingdom Business.

These verses from Ephesians have caused me to look at my own life. To take kind of a "TIME" inventory of my daily activity. Do I waste it on myself? Or am I truly taking back this 24 hours for God's glory. Never forget that if you are a follower of Jesus, then you are a kind of walking around, breathing, eating and sleeping billboard for those around you. In other words, our actions, attitudes, and choices are evident to those we come in contact with. So does my billboard point to Christ...or does it provide others with an excuse to stay away from anything to do with God.

I think maybe I need to take a long look at my own billboard today.

God on you...

michael b.