Getting older proves to be a diligent reminder of how little time we have on this earth. Despite youthful delusions, we are finite and will all die. For followers of Jesus, this is not a morbid thought but a cause for celebration. At the same time, it is a sobering realization that there is much work for us to do and little time in which to do it. It is also a call to action.
Our time has never been our own, but we live as if it were. Every breath has been given to us by our masterful Creator, and it is our responsibility to steward it well. Time is short and growing shorter. The mission is urgent. If we do not redeem the time for God’s purposes, we risk dying with our work unfulfilled, our service wasted. This need not be the way it goes.
To redeem the time means to make every moment count for the sake of Jesus and His Kingdom. Wasted moments are gone, never to return and impossible to retrieve. If we waste enough of them, we leave behind a massive pile of regret and loss. Each moment we fail to redeem bears the possibility of a soul not hearing the gospel of Christ and being damned to an eternity separated from their Creator. I don’t want to come to the end of my life knowing I could have, should have, done more for the glory of God. The time we have to serve Him is now. We dare not waste a moment.
Paul encouraged us to redeem the time because we live in evil days (Ephesians 5:15-16). It was true when he wrote the words two thousand years ago, and it is still true today. Wickedness abounds around the world. Men seek to do whatever feels right to them and are oblivious to the eternal consequences of their actions. Evil is causing our world to spiral out of control, save for the sovereign hand of our great God. Satan blinds the eyes of men and women everywhere with a lust for pleasure, power, and vanity. They do not know the way to Christ. Many follow false religions and ideas, hoping to earn their way to a better eternity. They don’t know the name of Jesus and are unaware of His love for them. We have to change this. We must tell them.
If the love of Jesus is not worth sharing, then nothing is. We waste too much time on selfish pursuits. Knowing what we know, how can we continue to live for ourselves and not for Christ and others? We do not have eternity to do the work God has given to us in this life. We have only the fleeting breath of our lives. Life with Jesus awaits us, but before we get there, we have work to do. Don’t squander your life on the pursuits of this world. Spend it on loving and telling others of Christ. The clock is winding down on our lives and humanity. We must redeem the time. We must make every moment count for Jesus.