Ephesians 5:16, 17
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 1805
Redeeming: buy up, ransom, rescue from loss
From the Greek word 'exagorazó' (pronounced ex-ag-or-ad'-zo). I buy out, I buy away from; I ransom, I redeem, I purchase, I choose.
'Time is a talent given us by God, and it is misspent and lost when not employed according to His design.' - Matthew Henry Commentary
To pay careful attention is to closely watch, keep an open eye on. To be very attentive to.
Do we drive with our eyes closed? Kinda hard to see the potholes that way, isn't it? Can we even walk alone with our eyes barely open? I can't. Even within my home I am thankful for even floors and close walls: I hold onto the walls and take baby steps on the floors. I walk cautious.
It is the same in our spiritual walk with God. Being ready to walk requires preparation. Have we knelt before God and given Him our allegiance? Our full allegiance, not just lip service, but heart service.
TALENTS OF TIME
Remember the Parable of Talents? The Master took away from the fearful servant, who had the least amount of talents, and gave it to the one who had been given the most, the one who doubled for the Master the talents he had been given.
Now, money-wise one talent equals one year's wages. Imagine being given double your wages. But not for your own pleasures. The two years worth of wages is yours to invest and return to the Master when He returns.
But consider, as Matthew Henry does, that one of the talents being given is Time. A reckoning of time spent will be required by The Master at His return. We must consider now, therefore, how we have invested the Time He gave us.
Have we honored Him with our time? Have we invested our time or wasted our time? Not all my times on this earth have been used to glorify God; to my shame. Coming to the realization that my time is not my own, I endeavor to glorify God with the best use of my time, that time which God has given me, that I may show Him when He returns and claims again the time He gave me.
DEVOURER OF TIME
John 10:10 "The thief comes only that he might steal and might kill and might destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly."
1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour: Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brethren throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering."
Our time is best spent in serving God. In searching Him out in His Word, in seeking His face in our prayer times. In submitting ourselves to His service the way He desires to be served, not the way in which we think He should be served.
The enemy of our souls seeks to devour our time, to fill it up with emptiness and dissatisfaction. Time spent not serving God according to His Word, His Will and His Way is time lost; time lost cannot be recouped.
REDEEM THE TIME
Acknowledging that we are not the best at deciding how to spend the time we have been given should lead us to seeking God on how best to use the Time He has placed in our hands. And He always has an answer for us. We choose to take back time and use it for Him, not wasting it on us.
Seek first the kingdom of God.
Matthew 6:33
Repent and be baptized.
Acts 2:38
Ask Me for Living Water.
John 7:39
Love one another as I have loved you.
John 13:34
Clothe yourselves in Righteousness.
Ephesians 4:24
Put your spiritual battle gear on.
Ephesians 6:10-20
Persevere in your race and Endure with patience every trial.
Hebrews 10:36
Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
There are many, many more ways in which we can increase the value of the Time we are given. We just need to study the Word for ourselves and come together as a group (what is commonly referred to as 'going to church'), that the Word of God may be made plain to us who want to hear the clear Truth of God's Word.
Our hearts must be ready(prepared to be His sanctuary) and willing (eager to hear) to receive what God wants to plant in us. Let us be ready for Christ's return, not spending the time we have now in regret, but using it for Him.
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