"A man was asked how long he had been working at his present job. He responded, “Ever since they threatened to fire me.” Unfortunately, that’s how all too many people, even some Christians, view their work. Instead of using their work time to show diligence and make their employer successful, their focus is on how to get more pay for less work.
That approach however gets things backwards. It’s like trying to pump water from a well that has never been primed. You have to be willing to put something in before you can expect to get something out. But once you prime the pump, the returns can be enormous.
One boss told an employee, “You have just been given a raise. It will become effective as soon as you do.” The Bible says the hand of the diligent shall prosper. If someone asked your employer if you were diligent, how would they answer?
Remember, keeping a good testimony at work by giving diligent labor is a big part of redeeming the time.
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"Remember when you were in high school. The first day of the new school year your English teacher started class by saying, “I’m giving you an important assignment today- a term paper due when we break for Christmas on December 20th.”
Now, when did you really get busy working on that paper that was due December 20th? About December 19th most likely. Because on December 19th you suddenly realized, “I have a deadline coming!” and you got busy doing what you should have been doing in September.
God said life also has a deadline. The Bible says we have an appointment to die and after that comes the real final examination. You would have done much better in high school if you had begun preparing for that examination earlier. Likewise God challenges us to remember Him while we are young.
The earlier we understand that we operate in this world under a deadline, the wiser we will be in the way we redeem the time.
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"What makes some Christians successful in God’s work while others never seem to bear fruit? There is probably no single answer to that question, but a big part of the answer might be the same thing that makes anyone successful or unsuccessful in any field. Habit.
Successful people have developed successful habits which unsuccessful people don’t have. A habit is defined as something we do out of routine without having to think about it. But that doesn’t mean habits come easy. Successful habits are intentionally developed over time. No one drifts into a life of great usefulness for the Lord. The more challenging the habit, the longer it takes to become automatic.
The way you use your time each day is the result of the habits you have formed. If you want to become useful to God, identify a habit you can practice today, such as giving Gospel tracts, to develop greater usefulness. Because, when your habits make you useful to God, you’re redeeming the time.
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"My specialization is time management, not money management. But I do believe I can give you some good advice on the best stock to invest in. It’s the stockpile.
Stockpiling items you use regularly is the strategy of good managers. They know that running out of needed items costs time and money. Good managers for example run off the top half of their gas tank, while poor managers run off the bottom half, buying a few dollars at a time and always hoping the fumes will get them close enough to coast to the gas station.
The Bible says a wise man can foresee bad things coming and take appropriate preventive measures. That basic principle could be extended to stockpiling things you are prone to run out of such as stamps, milk, bread, batteries, nails, Band-Aids, vacuum cleaner bags, tape, and aspirin.
Stockpiling these items prevents frantic last minute trips to the store. That’s why stockpiling is a good investment for those who want to redeem the time."