REDEEMING TIME OR WASTING TIME?

(7-minute read)

Most of us think of time as the 24 hours we have each day and how much time we have for this or that. We think about tasks that need to get done, situations that need our attention, and routines that loop from day to day, month to month, and year to year. We tend to focus on the here and now, and less in terms of what God prioritizes and values. Assuming that we will always have the “later” or “another day” we tell ourselves, our lives are controlled by rigid interpretations of what our time is for, with inflexible reading of situations and our required response. 

It is not uncommon to hear fellow believers complaining that they are too hard-pressed for time to pursue things that matter to God (though they don’t say it outright). They have no time for anything, yet the Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 3, that “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (v1-8), and that “He has also set eternity in the human heart” (v11). 

Let's agree that our mission in life is not about embracing mottos like ‘living your best life’, ‘you only live once’, or fulfilling some bucket lists. Our lives are worth living only because God first loved us “and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins”. (Read 1 John 4). 

Ephesians 5 described a time when the apostle Paul called out the early Christians in Ephesus for their laissez-faire way of thinking about life, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.” (v8, 10 NIV). 

Listen, we are not just stepping into a new calendar year. If only we could see the opportunities that we had missed in 2024 that would never return, we would reprioritize what goes on in our lives in 2025.

But how will we redeem the precious time and purpose God has destined for us in 2025? To be sure, it is not about being busier but about breaking away from time-wasting habits and focusing more on the following four aspects of living that the apostle Paul touched on in Ephesians 5:15-20 (NKJV):

WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,” (v15).

Ambivalence creeps up when we mistake plans for purpose. It can sound like this: in 2025, we'll move to another country. Or we'll be facing an empty nest in three months. Or we'll be busy with another addition to the family. Or we'll retire. Or we'll move house or change jobs. Treated as life purposes, they become excuses to de-prioritize what is important to God. Should people stand back, give us space and free us from obligations and responsibilities so we can manage what’s only normal in modern life? Does that sound like the early believers in Ephesus? Maybe it's possible to use every life transition to deepen and not distance our relationship with God and with others.

Granted that it takes effort to do anything, but relying on shortcuts will rob us of the true rewards of obedience. It pays to be diligent and wise with the God-given opportunities we have to do what is right for each other. Therefore, it is far more rewarding to walk circumspectly in the fear of the Lord than to live on our own terms and try to make it worthwhile in our own eyes. The Bible tells us that true wisdom comes from God and the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Wisdom from God ensures that we will start right in 2025, and not walk ‘as fools’.

UNDERSTAND THE WILL OF THE LORD

“Therefore do not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” (v17-18).

Least we think that ‘do not be unwise’ encourages self-preservation, here are ways to understand what godly wisdom also entails:

Do not fear risks, fear being outside of God’s will. 

Do not fear inexperience in any situation, trust God’s perfect knowledge. 

Do not fear appearing vulnerable, know that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness.

Do not fear not knowing what God will do, God does not reveal everything all at once.

Do not fear having no confidence in yourself, it is the best place to start trusting God.

To understand the will of God is not to figure out how things will turn out when we pray, when we take steps of obedience that can feel very uncomfortable, or when we break out of unhealthy coping mechanisms that hold us back from achieving God’s best for us.

Rather, to “not be unwise” and to “understand what the will of the Lord is”, it is imperative that we allow ourselves to “be filled with the (Holy) Spirit”. 

So let's be open to allow God’s will to invade our plans and schedules, set us free from one-dimensional living, and expand our experience of living in His will!

SPEAKING LIFE TO ONE ANOTHER

“speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (v19).

Anyone who reads the Bible will agree that God is conversational. He initiates conversations with us. He probes. He presses on to ask us difficult questions. He also wants us to have life-building conversations with each other that go beneath surface level chitchats.

Know that our conversations do not need to involve great eloquence, erudite discourse or impressive speeches. Conversations are important for deepening relationships as we invite people into our lives and ask to enter theirs. There is no benefit in downplaying our need for each other and in keeping the doors of our hearts closed for fear of being known. We cannot under-estimate the value of creating touchpoints with people to bring comfort, courage and build resilience. If anyone lacks imagination for connecting with others, they should ask God for creative ideas because it is the will of God for us to be speaking to one another. Our well-being is interconnected: we cannot talk ourselves into spiritual maturity and wholeness! 

Know that each day presents new opportunities for us to speak life into someone we know. If tapping on our phone screens becomes our primary way of connecting with people, our relationships will invariably suffer.

GIVE THANKS AT ALL TIMES TO GOD

“giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Contented people give thanks to God simply because they cannot imagine life without Him. Those who have a spirit of entitlement are happy with God only when things go their way. They spend an inordinate amount of time preserving their schedules, pursuing their ambitions, and are reluctant to allow God’s will to disrupt their plans. 

Conversely, those with a spirit of gratitude towards God recognize that everything that happens in their lives provides a new opportunity for growth. In God’s Hands, even mistakes, disappointments, hurts, and failures provide the ground for renewal and change. We can give thanks to God for new challenges, because they will teach us another valuable life lesson. We can give thanks to God for uneasy changes, because they can foster greater maturity. We can also give thanks to God for injustices suffered, because they reveal to us who has the real power to help us.

God is truth and He certainly does not call everything good, but He can make even the bad things that happen to us lead us to places that we would otherwise not discover on our own.

Finally, we have this assurance that God, our Heavenly Father, is always looking out for us: “My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when He corrects you. For the Lord corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:11-12 NLT). 

This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 4 January 2025.