Redeem the time…

Just even 2 minutes on social media or hearing the latest news will cause our hearts to despair.  The fast-neck speed with which we see what is going on in this world has never happened in any generation before us. Thus it causes our hearts to break for this world we live in. We see so much darkness, so much sin, and if we’re honest with ourselves, we can allow the world and our own sin and foolishness to waste precious time.  It can form our decisions, hinder our actions, and spike our emotions more often than we think.  I’m not saying we should dig a hole and stick our heads in the sand… in fact, just the opposite. I want us to be Christ followers who Paul is encouraging in Ephesians 5: 14, saying:

Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light.”

Are we awake yet? I think a lot of us are, and we are trying to walk in a world that looks so different than 20 years ago, even 2 years ago. Maybe we never thought it would get like this in our lifetime? I know I was naive to think that… So I am looking to God’s Word, waking up and arising from the dead “American Church” (more on that another time) and wanting to encourage all of us to be the Light of Christ in this present day.

Paul shares with us this new path, or way of walking, in Ephesians 5.

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Ephesians 5:8

There IS a way we can break through the darkness of this world and I’d like to spend a few minutes on today’s “Friday Journaling Prompt” with what the Holy Spirit brought to light in my own life yesterday… and it was through God’s Word and the words of others that it finally clicked.

If we’ve read Chapter 5 of Ephesians before, we know it is filled with encouragement to walk in love, to walk in light and to walk in wisdom.  But in verse 16 there’s a phrase I’ve skipped over many times and it came to light yesterday like never before.

verse 15 starts it by saying:

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, (16) REDEEMING THE TIME, because the days are evil. 

“Redeeming the time.”

I know many pastors have explained this to be about time management and working hard as unto the Lord. I don’t think they are wrong. But I looked up the word REDEEM in the dictionary and also the Greek words for “redeeming the time” and I think it may mean more than that. Redeem does mean: to buy it back, to regain possession of it. We know this is what God did for us through His Son Jesus Christ, and we are redeemed through His blood shed for our sins on the cross.  But do we realize those words together “redeeming the time” also carry the meaning of being free from distress or what harms us, (the evil of these days) SO THAT we can use these new opportunities God has redeemed (time God has given us back) AND they are a GIFT from God that should be used wisely? I know that was a mouthful… but here’s the simple truth:

Our lives were bought back (redeemed) when we made Jesus Christ our Lord and Savor. We now have the gift of time (God-given opportunities) to break through the darkness (these evil days) and walk wisely forward as a light, all for the glory of God!

The time is NOW friends. We know we are being called from the darkness, into the light. We know it isn’t going to get any easier, there is no going “back to normal” and there will be days ahead that are very evil. But we are AWAKE now… and that is a good thing. That means the Light of Jesus is going to shine in this dark world through you and I! We have so many opportunities before us, and I pray we are wise in them.

So let’s get practical and look at how we “redeem the time” for good?

One friend of mine is doing so with BEAUTY.

Let me explain…

Sheila Atchley is a dear friend of mine and you probably know her already. She is a deep soul that has been sharing glorious truth bombs for years. But since 2020, and all that transpired last year, she found these words and expounded on them throughout the pandemic:

Beauty defies despair.

She took these words deep, and it touched a lot of people’s lives.

She recently brought it back to remind us again, and I’ll let her explain what she means because she has a way with words that I could never do justice to. Please go follow her on IG and her website. The Holy Spirit is doing a work through her that is deep, and lovely, and yes… beautiful.

She also is part of where I got the courage to actually frame a piece of my art. (She doesn’t know that, but I guess she does now : )

I created this art journaling piece during the pandemic, and I prayed this verse as it came together.

“And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,

And establish the work of our hands for us,

Yes, establish the work of our hands.”

Psalm 90:17

Ok… I’m finally getting around to my Friday Journaling Prompt for today, but I wanted you to have all of that in your mind when you journal this weekend. Here’s the question we can all ponder this weekend and hopefully take some time to journal as well:

How can beauty shine the Light of Christ in this dark world?

I’ll start.

I makes me think of this verse in John 1 and it gives me such joy to be reminded of it today:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  John 1:5

Friends, I believe with all that is within me that the Light of Jesus in our lives is so beautiful, it can’t help but come out in incredible ways!

Let’s make the most of every opportunity He gives us, for His glory. He IS redeeming our time, can you feel it too?

Our daily, moment by moment, and even lifestyle choices (maybe changes??) will be used by God if we willingly “catch the golden moments as they fly by…” Isn’t that a beautiful way to look at our days? John Wesley wrote these words to his wife in a letter:

"Redeem the time. Catch the golden moments as they fly by."

That IS beautiful.

There are people around you and I that are taking the moments to do this. Find them, listen to them, pray for them. I’m going to start sharing more of my friends who do this well. I can think of quite a few and I want you to know them too.

Let’s be a community of believers who redeem the time we have left and make an impact for eternity!

Hugs to all,

Laura

“Awake, Arise and be the Light. Now are our days of opportunity…”

Laura McCollough