"I once heard of a man who wanted to show how easily manipulated most people are when it comes to signing on to a cause. To demonstrate his point he created a petition calling for the ban of dihydrogen monoxide. He sited statistics showing that this chemical has responsible for the deaths of millions of people worldwide, yet governments refuse to ban it. His drive was very successful as he gathered many signatures calling for the ban of dihydrogen monoxide also known as H2O or water.
How well have you thought out your causes, especially in light of eternity? In the year before I became a Christian, I tried joining several good causes looking for some alternative to the party life that had left me so empty. But I soon discovered that even devotion to a good cause couldn’t fulfill the emptiness of my heart. That took Jesus.
Remember, making sure you give your time to a cause that is big enough to satisfy is the only way to redeem the time.
"
"A young executive was leaving the office one evening when he found the CEO standing by the shredder with a paper in hand. ""Listen"", said the CEO, ""this is important and my assistant has left. Can you make this thing work?"" ""Certainly"", said the young man, flattered that the CEO had asked him for help. He turned the machine on, inserted the paper and pressed the start button. ""Excellent! Excellent!"" said the boss as his paper disappeared inside the machine. ""I need two copies of that.""
This CEO was obviously not very experienced with a copy machine. But copiers can be very useful tool to have around. We all use them at work, but most people do not have a copy machine in their home. Yet a $200 investment in a home copier can save many hours of running to the store when you need copies for Sunday school, taxes, or homework.
Remember, investing in the right tool, and learning to use it, will redeem the time.
"
"Two wildlife photographers suddenly realized a lion was starting to charge in their direction. The first man dropped his camera, took off his boots, and started putting on his tennis shoes. The other said, “You’re changing shoes? You can’t outrun a lion.” He responded, “That’s true. But all I have to do is outrun you.”
At least the first man had a strategy for winning, which is more than can be said for many Christians. It’s amazing how little time we actually devote to creating a strategy for life. God has a special purpose and plan for every individual. Yet few people ever realize their full potential and fulfill God’s plan, because they have no strategy for getting God’s best for their life.
Many people spend more time planning their vacation than they do their career. Some young people develop more of a strategy for winning a football game than they do winning at life. But having a strategy, for this life and the next, is vital for redeeming the time.
"
"It’s beyond me how anyone can study the human eye and not believe it is the product of an intelligent creator. Its complexity and precision are amazing.
As light enters the eye through the cornea it is focused and passed through the iris which, like a highly advanced camera, instantly determines how much light to let in. It then passes through a lens for additional focusing before being projected onto the retina, a thin layer of photoreceptor cells in the back of the eye. They convert the image to electrical signals which are transmitted by millions of nerve fibers to the brain where they are decoded and we see.
Jesus talked about people who have eyes but cannot see. Their spiritual vision is dull or blind. They don’t see the marvelous opportunities God has placed before them to serve Him.
Maybe you have one of those opportunities right now. It might not be what you had planned for today, but if it’s what God wants, it’s the way to redeem the time.
"