Five Minute Friday - Redeeming the Time

Hello Friday and the completion of the first full week of 2021! This post is a writing exercise for Five Minute Friday - an opportunity to receive a writing word prompt and write for 5 minutes your thoughts. Today's word is TIME. 

TIME is such an appropriate word as we begin a New Year. There is something about a New Year or a fresh start that opens up an opportunity for change. One of the greatest challenges many people face is with TIME - we struggle with how much we time we have in a day, how to best use that time and how to make the most of it. We are allotted the same amount - 24 hours, but our circumstances and season of life determine the challenges of using time wisely. 

One of my favorite New Year's Bible verses is Ephesians 5:15-16 - " See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,  redeeming the time, because the days are evil." This verse always seems to bring clarity to the importance of time and how to be purposeful in using it to the best of my ability. 

The phrase to 'redeem the time' caught my attention today. To redeem something means to buy it back, to regain possession of it. Time is a gift from God, and none of us know how much of it we are allotted. Only God knows how much time each of us has on this earth to make decisions that will impact eternity. When God says we should be “redeeming the time,” He wants us to live in constant awareness of that ticking clock and make the most of the time we have.  Rather than waste our days on frivolous pursuits that leave no lasting imprint, Scripture instructs us to be diligent about doing good. 

As we seek to redeem our time, we must first be aware that there are distractions all around us that tempt us to waste time. Pleasures, indulgences and down time can all have a spot in our lives, but it is wise to put them in their proper place and not allow them to take over and be consuming. How quickly if left unattended, blocks of time spent on frivolous things can multiply and take away our attention from things that will make a difference. We must be vigilant to redeem the time. 

 Prioritizing our day can be a great way to begin to redeem our time. One of my favorite morning verses is Psalms 143:8 "Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You". When we begin the day asking for the wisdom of God, we can walk through the day assured we will be directed to make the best choices.  We can begin every morning by committing our day to the Lord and asking Him to help us do something that day that has eternal significance. By beginning our day with eternity in mind, we become more aware of spiritual nudges in our hearts. We look for ways we can honor the Lord, help someone else, or utilize our time in productive ways.

Time does fly. But, we can redeem it by taking the opportunity to use it wisely. One excellent use of time is in studying God’s word faithfully and as we follow and obey, our time will be fruitful, fulfilling and will make an impact now and in generations to come.