Redeeming The Time

Gò0dNews for Everyone

Redeeming The Time

by Filip Brunner

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:14-17).

What does the Bible mean when it talks about “Redeeming the time”? To redeem something is to

purchase it back or to gain at a sacrifice. There are a lot of good things which we engage in, including activities which in and of themselves are not morally wrong. For example, spending a short time on social media. Emphasis on short. Social media can be a colossal waste of my time when I get bogged down with it.

I have determined to post a daily “promise from the Bible” (courtesy of blueletterbible.org) in order to encourage the handful of my friends who follow me on social media. I try to bite my tongue and not post anything that is not edifying, but divisive and does not amount to anything in view of eternity. I fail at times but if I am to redeem the time, I need to concentrate on things which have an eternal impact. Of all of the men Jesus called as His disciples, Philip probably understood the principal of redeeming the time most keenly: “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, ‘We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph’” (John 1:45). We cannot save anyone, but as witnesses of what Jesus has done in our lives, we can bring people to Jesus of Nazareth—who alone holds eternity in His hand and is able to take our “lostness” and make us come to life. Let me challenge us all to take something good and pray that Jesus can make something excellent, something better, and something with eternity in mind out of it. Ask yourself, “Does what I am doing with my time have an eternal impact?” If not, then perhaps there is time for re-evaluation of our priorities.

About The Author Filip Brunner is married to his wife, Dr. Kim Brunner and together they have six children. He is a writer, author, and artist.