"A lot of things are not what you think they are. For example:
An airplane’s black boxes are what color? Orange
The Canary Islands were named after what animal? A dog
How long did the Hundred Years War last? 116 years
A lot of things on your daily schedule are not what you think they are either. There are likely some things on your plate today that you think are important which are merely urgent. That’s because it’s easy to confuse the two.
Urgent things are items which demand your immediate attention. They clamor to be seen and done right away.
On the other hand, important things are the activities in your day with the greatest long term payoff. They may also be urgent, but most of the time they aren’t.
One of the devil’s favorite tactics is make the unimportant appear urgent. Being aware of that tactic will help you focus on what truly is important, what’s really going to redeem the time.
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"For several years I worked as a Chaplain at a maximum security prison. During that time, I saw a number of fights break out on the prison yard. Yet I rarely saw the correctional officers running to the incident. That’s because there are a lot more inmates than staff on the yard at any given time and if the inmates get provoked or excited by the sight of officers running, a minor confrontation can quickly escalate into a full scale prison riot with multiple fatalities.
The instruction to “Walk fast, but don’t run” probably saved a lot of lives. It can also save a lot of time. I remember as a young Christian, one of my mentors told me that God’s voice is seldom demanding and pushing. Instead, He normally guides us and gently leads us along.
Nearly every time I’ve rushed into a difficult situation without prayer, I’ve merely escalated the problem and had to waste time straightening things out. That’s why walking quickly but not rushing will redeem the time.
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"What do you need to fix today? Is something at home leaking, creaking or squeaking?
In Proverbs 24, God lists one of the evidences of a lazy person as being unmaintained property, such as vines overtaking the garden or collapsed fencing. I thought of this verse recently and realized the gate on the chain link fence at my home had been broken for a very long time. Last night I bought a new one.
Our neighbors need to see Jesus in our lives. Unfortunately, instead they sometimes see an eyesore when they look at our property. That makes it hard for them to see much else. When we procrastinate on repairs the situation usually gets worse and our testimony with others deteriorates as well.
Take a moment today to see if there is a repair that needs your attention. If you are married, ask your spouse if they know of something that needs fixed, because keeping your home in good repair will enhance your Christian testimony and redeem the time.
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"I recently discovered this quote which I want you to think about: “You are what your record says you are.”
I believe there is some good truth in that statement. A graduating senior can tell a prospective employer what a faithful and diligent person he is, but if the transcript doesn’t match, he has nothing to support that claim. A young man may tell his girlfriend how well he’s going to take of her if she marries him. But if he’s working part time and playing video games full time, his record doesn’t match his promises.
The good part about this quote is your record is still being recorded. If you have a good record up to this point, you can be encouraged and continue to improve it with a focus on getting God’s best each day. If your record is not so great, God can improve it before the final chapter is written.
Remembering the truth that “you are what your record says you are” will motivate you to redeem the time.
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