"In ancient Rome the chief priest had the power to regulate the calendar. When the emperor needed more money he would shorten the month so taxes became due sooner. When an emperor wanted to stay in power longer, he would simply lengthen the months as needed. The calendar eventually became so mixed up that autumn began in January.
These men tried to manipulate time to fit their needs. But there was actually another calendar that they could not change. God had a calendar for each of their lives. It included a day to be born and a day to die. Its been that way for everyone who has ever entered this world and nothing we do can change that.
The only thing that we can change is what we do with the time God has allotted to us. It is much easier to waste time than it is to spend it wisely. But the fact is you have only one opportunity to spend today. So why not get busy right now and redeem the time.
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"When I was about five years old the little girl down the street set up a store in her back yard. My mother gave me a nickel to spend and I noticed a rock on her store table and asked why she was selling a rock. Robin then explained to me that it wasn’t a rock it was a paperweight. So I gave her my nickel and took it home to show mom.
But instead of being delighted with my wise purchase, mother explained it wasn’t a paperweight, but a rock. She then gave me a lecture about what a foolish thing I had done spending my father’s hard earned money on a rock.
I learned that day the value of a coin. Poet Carl Sandburg said, “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.”
That’s good counsel for redeeming the time.
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"A robber entered a Bank of America in San Francisco and wrote a stick-up note on a deposit slip. But, fearing someone may have seen him write the note, he went across the street and gave it to the teller at the Wells Fargo bank. The quick-thinking teller told him since it was on a Bank of America slip, he would have to use one of their forms or take it back to Bank of America. The defeated man left and the teller called police who arrested the man as he stood in line at Bank of America.
Perhaps the robber should have considered using the drive thru! When you approach a bank or fast food restaurant always see which line is shorter before deciding if you’ll go in or use the drive thru. If they’re the same length use the drive thru since it generally moves faster. Don’t be robbed of your time waiting in line when you could be busy for God, redeeming the time.
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"Someone said, “The road less traveled might be that way for a reason.” While it is a good time management principle to continually search for new and better ways to accomplish what God wants us to do, we need to remember that every truth has its balancing truth.
It’s fashionable today to talk about thinking outside the box. But creativity has to be balanced with stability and wisdom. The desire for change should be motivated by a desire to experience God’s best and be more effective for Him.
The apostle Paul said, I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. Paul didn’t mean that he didn’t want to do more for God, but he meant he could be happy doing whatever God wanted him to do. Simply doing what God wants us to do is the key to happiness and contentment. It’s how we redeem the time.
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