Tic Toc, Tic Toc, Tic Toc… I was once told by one of my aging professors in college that we all have 24 hours a day and how we want to use it is up to us. He said rather bluntly, “God will not give you any more or any less, so make up your mind now how you are going to spend it. As I sit here behind my computer (pen 😊) I feel like a ten-year-old waiting for the recess bell to go off so I can get outside and play. But unlike a neophyte playground gamer, I really can choose what I want to do with my time. Or can I?
The Bible has a lot to say about the use of time. And by now perhaps some of you have more time on your hands than you want due to all the state and government regulations. If you are a very social person and love to be around a lot of people I am sure you are struggling with this “stay in place” order. I am sure you are missing your favorite hangouts. Truth be told, you gain your strength from being around people. So, could it be that time is kind of dragging on? Tic Toc, Tic Toc, Tic Toc…
SCRIPTURE PORTION
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
Ephesians 5:15-16
If you have a New King James Version of the Bible your subtitle for chapter five verses fifteen through twenty-one may read “Walk In Wisdom.” Now when it comes to wisdom I know enough about the subject to understand that I need more of it now than at any other time in my life. A long time ago I bought a mug that had a quote on it by Sarah Blacksmith (AD 1900) that said, “If you do a foolish thing, do it like you mean it.” There is no surprise in the fact that the opposite of wisdom is foolishness. And it has been my experience that I have evidenced the connection between both of them enough times in my life to tell you that there is a great distinction between the two. Like the time a close childhood friend and I decided to take his toboggan for a ride down the hill on the side of his house. At first glance this sounds like a wise adventure, a fun afternoon activity, but with closer observation this fun-time activity is what gives parents white hair (that’s if they found out). Oh, did I mention that the ride ended with a retaining wall and that by the time you hit the top of the wall the speed you were going was enough to make you fly six feet off the ground and land in the middle of the street? Yep, I already know what you are thinking… well no I don’t, but I can tell you I know all about doing foolish things. Disclaimer: No dogs, cats, or siblings were hurt in the making of that jump—just bottoms.
Time, Wisdom, And God’s Timeshare
For the Christian, time and wisdom always need to go together. Notice I said “need” to go together. We all realize that they don’t always go together the way they should. But to make the best use of my time I really do need wisdom in order to use it the way God intended.
The Apostle Paul says “walk circumspectly.” We don’t use that phrase very often unless it is within the context of Scripture, but it means “be careful.” Or to put it another way, “Take real care in how you are walking the Christian life.” When soldiers walk through a minefield there is no foolishness involved. Each step is calculated, every minute is accounted for, every movement is planned and well thought out before the next one is made. That my friends is called wisdom. Why? Because their objective is to get everyone to the other side without any casualties. No foolish moves, no distractions, no leap first and think later… You get the picture.
But the apostle doesn’t leave it there, because he says, “redeeming the time because the days are evil.” The word “redeeming” is from the Greek word “exagorazo” which means to buy or purchase something. It is also used of the Doctor Luke in Acts 20:28, where Paul is warning the Ephesians Elders to “take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased (redeemed) with His own blood.”
The fact is, time is precious and the days are evil. I am not one who sees a demon around every corner but I know that the world is not getting better, time is getting short (at least for me), and we have a timeshare with God starting on the day we were saved by the precious blood of His Son. God’s grace every day is a gift from Him either to use it wisely or to squander it foolishly. Are you careful concerning the use of your time? Are there things you need to add in the use of your time that will bring glory to God? Are their foolish things that can only be described as time-wasters that need to be cut out? Only you can answer these questions for yourself and as always, the choice of doing the wise or foolish thing is always up to you. Tic Toc, Tic Toc, Tic, Toc…
This is Pastor Pat “From Behind The Pen” wishing you joy in Jesus.