There is a Time.
26th JANUARY 2022
Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. [Ecclesiastes 8:5–6 ESV]
‘What you are, and what you become, depends on how you use your time.’ — Myles Munroe.
Everyone on earth has been gifted with the same measure of time. Each one of us, irrespective of our race, social class or location, has 24 hours in a day. As far as time is concerned, how one uses those 24 hours makes him/her who they are and influences what they become. With that said, if we truly want to realise all the glorious things we have faith for, we must be intentional about how we use our time.
Time is a precious commodity that we must appreciate. If we lived in eternity in our current state, every mistake we made would stay with us forever! That would be just disastrous. Hence, God has granted us the construct of time, within which we can fulfil a purpose and learn to grow in wisdom, to pursue things of value for the kingdom.
As the wise man in Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 states; “I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labour — it is the gift of God.” But can we honestly say we have been using our time wisely? To its maximum? If not, the Bible cautions in Ephesians 5:16 that we redeem the time. Dr Munroe described redeeming time as converting time into an opportunity to fulfil your purpose, or to design your days to create value in life.
Whatever time you’ve wasted in the past, forget it, it is gone forever. But you have the opportunity to redeem the time you have now.
To redeem the time, Dr Munroe outlined these absolutely practical 10 points; document a plan; establish your priorities; pursue your passion; protect your plans and prioritise; identify what you value; make decisions based on destiny; inventory your associations; review your investments; do not try to please everyone; forget the past and pursue and design the future. [emboldened and italicised just for visualisation]
We can use the above as a checklist throughout the day and be conscious about how we use our time. Go a step further and be your brother’s keeper, reach out to your neighbour and ask, “are you spending your time or redeeming it?”
Heavenly Father, forgive me if I have ever missed time in any way. Please bring me to a place where I redeem my time and not spend it aimlessly. This I pray in Jesus name, Amen.
Further Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:1 / Pro 15:23
Bible In One Year: Genesis [37–40]
