"Be careful then how you live - not as unwise but as wise - redeeming the time
because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:15-16
because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:15-16
What does it look like to "redeem the time"? In the context of Ephesians 5, Paul is reminding the followers of Christ what they were like before they came to know Jesus. In light of that past form of life, we are called to live an even more Christ-centered, more Kingdom-directed life. So are we doing that? Am I doing that? What things am I spending time on now that have no eternal value? Whenever I think of this idea of wasting time, Ecclesiastes comes to mind. The Teacher (the author of the book) tells us that all kinds of activities are meaningless - one of them is building gardens. I've always been struck by the idea that investing significant amounts of time in landscaping seems to be frowned upon by The Teacher. But why?
I suppose that it is at least in part because the things that are put into the ground - the plants, the flowers, etc. - and the ponds and retaining walls that are built - they all pass away. Is this too bold - is it a waste to plant a garden? Well, here is the question - does it have any eternal value? Ultimately, we find that only two things will pass from here into eternity: God's Word and people. Are these the things I invest my time in, or do I look like a sanitized version of everyone else around me? Certain things matter - not my apartment, not my car, not my technology, not my collection of 'things' (whatever these 'things' might be). What matters is people. What matters is telling people about the Gospel. Is your life so slanted in that way that you look strange to people around you? If so, I would guess that the Teacher would say, "That, my friend is meaningful."
- tC
I suppose that it is at least in part because the things that are put into the ground - the plants, the flowers, etc. - and the ponds and retaining walls that are built - they all pass away. Is this too bold - is it a waste to plant a garden? Well, here is the question - does it have any eternal value? Ultimately, we find that only two things will pass from here into eternity: God's Word and people. Are these the things I invest my time in, or do I look like a sanitized version of everyone else around me? Certain things matter - not my apartment, not my car, not my technology, not my collection of 'things' (whatever these 'things' might be). What matters is people. What matters is telling people about the Gospel. Is your life so slanted in that way that you look strange to people around you? If so, I would guess that the Teacher would say, "That, my friend is meaningful."
- tC
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