"What means more to a child, the things you give them or the time you spend with them? To answer that question I want to do a little experiment.
Get a piece of paper today and write down all the Christmas and birthday gifts you received as a child. If you’re like most people, when you do this you’ll remember a few of them, but most were long ago forgotten.
Then, on a second piece of paper, list all of the places you went on vacation with your family. Chances are you will be able to recall the great majority of them, even from when you were very young. That’s because what makes memories is not so much giving things as it is doing things and spending time together.
In the Old Testament, God established a number of special holidays for the Jewish people. I’m sure part of the reason for that was for the memories it would create, because taking time to create family memories will redeem the time.
"
"How should you respond when everything is going wrong and someone says, “Hi! How’s your day going?” You might think you have only two choices: Either lie and say you’re having a wonderful day, or else tell the truth and fill their ears with your tales of misery and self woe.
Since you know it isn’t God’s will to lie, and they probably don’t want to hear your griping, try this third option. Say, “It’s just unbelievable!” That way you cover yourself for anything positive or negative and give them some positive encouragement.
Practice it today. When someone asks, “how your work’s going?”- unbelievable, how did like that restaurant I recommended to you- unbelievable, how did the church board meeting go?- Unbelievable.
Remember providing encouragement to others and being as positive as you can be under any circumstance is part of giving a good Christian testimony. And, compared to being negative, it’s a much better way to redeem the time.
"
"A man went to his dentist and complained, “Doc, what can I do about these yellow teeth of mine?” The dentist answered, “It’s simple, just wear a brown tie.”
Wearing a tie might solve some problems, but it can also create others. One problem they create is the time required to tie a tie each morning so that you get a good knot and the tie is the right length. But there is a simple way to avoid that problem. Each evening simply loosen your tie enough to slide it over your head without breaking the knot. The next morning simply slip it back on.
You might think that will destroy your tie by making a crease in it. But if the crease is in the knot, who will ever know? And even longstanding creases come out when the tie is dry cleaned.
God wants you to spend time on things that matter most. If you can spend less time each morning tying ties and more time in God’s Word you’ll be redeeming the time.
"
"A man dropped two pennies on the floor at while paying at the cash register. He sat his wallet on the counter as he looked for the fallen coins. Once he finally found them he reached for his wallet only to find it had been stolen with all his money in it.
That story illustrates the way many people spend their time. While they are busy hunting and striving for the petty things of this world the far more valuable opportunity of accumulating spiritual treasure is being lost. The diversion of their attention to minor things of no eternal consequence comes at the expense of true eternal riches.
What are you doing today that will matter in eternity? Can you think of anything you could do today that might influence someone to make a decision for Christ? Is there anyway you could encourage a Christian brother or sister who may be going through a struggle? Take a moment right now and ask God how He wants you to redeem the time.
"