Redeeming The Time

“The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” ~ Psalm 90:10-12 (NKJV)

2015 looms large. Do I make plans for the New Year? Do I sit down and envision the future and make a list of things to do and ambitions to accomplish? Certainly there are desires in my head that I want to see come to fruition. What did I plan for 2014? Did any of that turn out? And of what is left undone - do I move those things out into next year or do I give up on them altogether and push the reset button and start afresh?

If I focus on present circumstances alone I lose sight of what has led up to now. How does the saying go; “the past is prologue …”? Is a one year segment the way that God views the continuum of my life? On reflection that notion doesn’t seem reasonable. Why would the God of eternity care about a one year segment in the context of His plan for my life? What is a year or any segment of time to Him? Why is it important to me?

Haven’t I learned to be more of a man of the moment leaning on God’s wisdom to guide my steps – to simply DO THE NEXT THING? Doesn’t Proverbs 3:5-6 make this clear; “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” ?

Am I making a mistake setting goals that rely on what I can do versus what He can do or should there be a union in our effort? Do I relegate to Him only the things that I believe I cannot achieve myself and launch them in His general direction via prayer? Am I minimizing or, worse, marginalizing God with my puny list of resolutions? I need balance.

What I do certainly matters to God. My work matters to God. There are things I must DO. The Hebrew word for work in the Bible (“avodah”) is used interchangeably to mean both work and worship. It’s where we get the modern word “vocation”. Spiritual harmony suggests that there be a mingling of what I do and what God has in mind. Both must occupy the same time. I know that my life in Christ is an invitation to become a friend and co-worker with God and so my ambitions really need to reflect that mind-set … that heart-set. My work is worship ~ My plans are a devotional.

And what of the setbacks I have experienced and the struggles that have risen up to discourage me? Not long ago I was experiencing just such a discouraging episode and as I began to give in to self-pity a gentle whisper reminded me that He suffered much more than this and He suffered it for me and that His response was to love those who scorned Him. The words of Philippians 3:10 exploded in my heart; “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being transformed by His death.” Similar sentiment is conveyed in 1 Peter 4:12-13. This is relevant as we struggle with the pursuit of visions and set goals and endeavor toward anything worthy. There will be struggles, pain, loss and discouragement. Authentic testimonies will be forged that will draw men toward the TRUTH.

Things don’t always go as we plan them. General Eisenhower said, “Plans are worthless but planning is everything.” Whether Von Clausewitz , Von Moltke, Napoleon or Caesar said it, experienced military strategists will agree that “no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy.” And we indeed have an adversary.

So, as plans and aspirations begin to sprout with the New Year approaching I believe that there are certain foundational bases that may need attention. First things first; whose plan are we talking about? Bearing our cross is submission to “His” plan.

Jesus puts it this way in Luke 14:26-33 (NKJV); “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”  He’s talking about the plans of men … my plans ... your plans.

The two greatest variables in any plan are material resources and time. Accepting for a moment that we have access to God’s unlimited material resources, we, living in time, must contend with that most precious of resources (time) and the Bible provides guidance on that.

Ephesians 5:14-16 (NKJV); “Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Colossians 4:1-5 (NKJV); “Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

The definitions of redeeming/redemption are many;

§        exchange for something of more value,

§        to make (something that is bad, unpleasant, etc.) better or more acceptable,

§        to exchange for money or to buy back, repurchase,

§        to free from what distresses or harms: as to free from captivity by payment of ransom,

§        to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental,

§        to change for the better: reform, repair, restore,

§        to make good.

The days are indeed evil, now more than at any other time in history because they seek to spirit away our time and distract our attention. Thanks to electronic devices and an amplitude of information, innuendo and gossip the onslaught is merciless. Truth is a needle in a haystack of relativist chaff.

So as we consider the future we would be wise to consider the greater plan of which we are a part – to which we have submitted - if we are Christian. We should consider our portion in it and look to direct our paths with all expectation of the good outcome that He has in mind and be willingly surrendered to it.

Joshua 3:5 is most encouraging; “Consecrate yours, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” Consecrate; to set aside for a sacred purpose, devoted to a higher calling or standard, designated for noble purpose, set apart for what is goodness and virtue.

With all of this as a runway for your mind;  what are some outlandish outcomes that might manifest in and from your life if God alone was the reason for them coming to fruition. These are things you could never muster up for accomplishment. Allow yourself to open up and breathe in what He has in mind for 2015 and beyond. Tell Him that you are ready to join Him as He invites you into that.

What enters your heart? What might you dare to declare? What dare you claim in His name? This is the basis for a great plan. Look back and see what He has done that you didn’t orchestrate of yourself. In those things you will find the foundations of a vision to pray upon. Miracles yet to be. State the God-sized outcome as a fact - as though it already is accomplished and you are describing its reality in detail. Open up, invite Him in, breathe in the vision, allow it to be big and ridiculously impossible for you or any man to do.

Redeem the time!

Blessings,

Bill