Redeeming the Time

Think for a minute about how you spend your time. Is your time spent, wasted, or invested?

I am not opposed to playing video games or watching TV, as long as the content is appropriate. The Bible is clear (and science has confirmed) that rest and downtime are important. But those activities should not be all that we do.

Too many people get home from school, pick up their controller, and play video games until they fall asleep. Likewise, people get home from work, grab the remote, and watch TV until late into the night. This is the daily routine for millions of people.

A life lost in games and shows is an example of time wasted. Each hour wasted staring at a TV is an hour you can never get back. Are you proud of how you chose to spend that hour, which was a gift from God?

We should be more interested in investing our time—spending it in a way that yields a reward in the future. Ephesians 5:17 says, “Redeeming the time because the days are evil.” Another way of saying that in today’s English could be, “Invest your time wisely because we live in an evil world.”

 We invest our time through prayer, reading God’s Word, and attending church. Time spent in those areas is an investment because they can produce future results. Answered prayers are worth the time spent in praying them; and when a verse or concept comes to our minds at just the right time, we know that the time spent in reading and listening was worth the investment.

We also invest our time wisely when we share the gospel with a nonbeliever. If they choose to put their faith in Christ then there is an eternal reward. Even if they reject the message, a seed was planted that can grow over time.

Another way to invest our time wisely is to spend it with other believers. Whether learning from people who are older than us spiritually, or teaching those who are younger than us spiritually, we are investing time in other people. This is called discipleship, and it was a command of Christ.

Remember, we live in an evil world, so how are you investing your time?