"A man went to a psychiatrist complaining he was unhappy with life. The doctor then informed him that he needed to find his true inner self. He instructed him to discover that secret hidden part of his being by pealing away all of the outer layers until he found his hidden core like the core of an apple. A week later the disappointed man returned and informed the doctor that he discovered he was not an apple but an onion.
The man would have been much better off if he had read his Bible instead. Scripture tells us that we find meaning and purpose in using our energies to serve God. Spending time on deep introspection without including God will only lead us into greater confusion and despair.
Emotions are generally not changed by knowledge, but by actions. That’s why one of the best cures for depression or anxiety is to spend some time serving God by serving others.
Following God’s counsel makes us redeem the time.
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"Sunday comes around every seven days. But someday is not a day of the week and never occurs.
When we say “I’ll get to it someday,” what we’re really saying is “This thing is not important enough for me to schedule a time to do it. But I would feel guilty if I said I was going to completely forget about doing it, so I’ll tell myself I’m going to do it someday.”
Many people even take this approach to salvation. They plan to get right with God someday. But God said in the Bible, “Behold now is the accepted time. Behold now is the day of salvation”
Whether its salvation, obeying the call of God to ministry or just changing the oil in the car, remember; one of these days really means none of these days. Making time now for the things that matter most is a vital part of redeeming the time.
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"Perhaps you’ve heard the expression, “He put his pants on like everyone else, one leg at a time.” It means he’s just an ordinary guy like the rest of us. Because everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time. Everyone, that is, except one group of people. Firemen.
Firemen keep their boots and gear ready to jump into with both feet so they can take off faster. They do it that way because they operate with a great sense of urgency. Firemen understand that someone’s life may depend on how quickly they get their shoes on and get out the door. When someone is trapped in a burning building, a few extra seconds can mean life or death.
Just like those firemen, God has called you and I to a critical rescue mission. There is an entire planet of people all around us headed for disaster. We must operate with a sense of urgency. We must take advantage of every possible means of redeeming the time.
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"A man took his young son to an all you can eat restaurant. As the boy loaded his plate with food, the father asked, “Are you sure you can eat all that?” The boy replied, “Sure dad. I’m a lot bigger on the inside than the outside.”
The little boy had what it took to redeem the time. Character is being bigger on the inside than on the outside. When outside pressures drive us to waste time by neglecting God’s priorities, following the crowd or just being lazy, character is the inside force that will help us make the right decision and spend time doing what God wants us to do.
But what is the source of true character? The world talks a lot about character these days, with workplace seminars and motivational training telling us to be a people of Character. But they generally ignore the spiritual component of knowing Jesus Christ who gives the power to live a character driven life and to redeem the time.
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