WISDOM OF TIMING (4)

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as WISE, REDEEMING the TIME...” – Ephesians 5:15-16a

It takes receiving and walking in the WISDOM of TIMING, to understand and do the Will of the Lord: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph.5:15-17). We can walk wisely and make the precious years that God allots to us count for His Purpose and Glory. Life is busy! But we should realize that Time is a prized gift from God, equally given to all, to be invested and maximised for His Glory.

How should we live? Paul wrote: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (v.8). We are to walk as children of light and “circumspectly” (v.15). Though we are in the world, our walk must be in the Lord. People in the world jump and run from one thing to another. Believers in Christ must make the most of the present time for God. Satan wants to fill our time with everything except the service of the Lord: “for the days are evil” (v.16b). Every day, the rottenness of sin bursts out of the sores of this world.

Time is Life! As Time flies, life ebbs! Life on earth is packaged into times and seasons (Ecc.3:1). Time is one of God’s most precious gifts to humanity, because we only have a fixed amount of it. We can make more money, but we can't make more time. Wasting time is equal to squandering a portion of life that may never be redeemed. To maximize life, we must value time, knowing that every year, month, week, day, hour, and moment could be crucial; hence, David prayed: “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psa.90:12).

“Redeeming the Time” (v.16a). Assuming a generous benefactor opened an account at the bank for me with a deposit of N86,400.00 every morning, but every evening cancels out any amount unused. The next day another deposit of N86,400.00 would be made into my account; but again, any unused amount is cancelled that evening. That’s how Time works. Every morning we have 86,400 seconds reserved for our use. Any unused time is wasted, cannot be recovered or stored up for use at a later time; it cannot be redeemed!

To “redeem” means to rescue from loss, to buy back, or to make the most of every opportunity that we have. It’s usual to hear complaints like, “There aren’t enough hours in the day!” and to wish for a 30-hour day! The problem is not that we do not have enough time; it is that we do not make the best use of the time we have. We’re called to live wisely, and make the most of the opportunities granted to us in Time. We never know how long we’ll have the time. The clock is running; eternity is beckoning; and we’re getting closer to the end of all things.

Three Principles concerning Time and our Use of it:

Yield Time to God: He is the Lord of Time. With one word, He determined the beginning of Time. His Hand set in motion the rotations of the earth, Sun, Moon, and dynamics of Day and Night. He knows the end of Time. We tend to segment our time, but it all belongs to God.

Recognise Time in the Light of Eternity: Time is like a drop in the Ocean of Eternity (Psa.39:5; Jam.4:14). Methuselah lived for 969 years – less than one day in God’s Sight (Psa.90:4). We focus more on Time, and get caught up in its trappings. Let’s look up more (1Pet.1:17).

Invest Time for God’s Glory: We cannot afford to merely drift through life, hoping that someday it will add up to something of eternal value. We must be watchful (1Pet.4:7); seek the Lord (Hos.10:12b; Mt.6:33); and invest in ministering to God and the spiritual needs of others.