"A travel agent was booking a flight to China when she reminded her client he would need a visa for the trip. “Can you double check that?” The man asked. “Last time I went I know they took American Express.”
It sounds like that man should have done his research and maybe even made a trip to the library before booking his ticket. Libraries are no doubt one of the most underused resources in the world. But they can be a great place to profitably spend your time.
Taking children to the library instead of an amusement exposes them to the joy of reading and researching. Most libraries even have a section of Christian materials such as videos, Bible study books and Christian classics. They provide a good place for busy executives to work uninterrupted and accomplish much more than they would in their office.
When was the last time you visited the library? If it’s been a while, you might be missing out on a good place to redeem the time.
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"Imagine for just a moment that your lifetime could be pictured in terms of a daily clock where you wake up at 7:30 and go to bed at midnight. The clock’s parallel to a 70 year lifespan would run something like this:
When you’re 16 and get your first car it’s just after 11 a.m.
You graduate from college at 23, it’s 1:30 p.m.
Your first child comes when you’re 30, it’s 2:45 p.m.
You fulfill your career goal at 50, it’s 7:20 in the evening
You retire at 65, it’s 10:42 p.m. and midnight is just over an hour away.
What time is it for you on this imaginary clock? The chances are it’s probably later than what you tend to think it is. The fact is midnight is approaching for all of us. That’s why the Bible reminds us in Romans that “the night is far spent, the day is at hand.” It reminds us to redeem the time.
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"When a lion trainer walks into a cage he carries a stool. Have you ever wondered why they choose a stool? It has to do with focus. When the trainer jabs the stool toward the lion, the animal will try to focus on all four legs at the same time. The result is a paralyzed lion. Lion trainers know that if they can divide the focus of their lion they can conquer the king of beasts.
That’s a picture of how Satan often works in the life of the believer. He scatters our focus among many different priorities and activities to keep us from concentrating on the one thing God wants us to accomplish. Like the caged lion, we spend our day swatting in response to the enemy’s jabs and distractions.
God’s plan is for concentrated focus in a few key areas. Even Jesus limited the scope of His ministry at times to a few key individuals. He knew that a divided focus was not the way to redeem the time.
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"President Theodore Roosevelt became a great leader in part because he took time to listen. He was also known to grow weary of those who didn’t take time to listen.
Once at a fancy dinner he got tired of people returning his greetings with mindless responses. He began greeting people by telling them he had just murdered his grandmother. Most people were so nervous at meeting the President, they didn’t even catch what he said.
Peter Drucker, the father of American management, says 60% of all management problems are the result of faulty communication. No doubt much of that is the result of poor listening.
Take time today to listen to your customers, your spouse, your children, and your co-workers. When you take time to listen, you come away from a situation with a sharper focus, able to accomplish more.
Most of all, make sure you take time to listen to God and get his instructions in the matter. Being a good listener, to God and people, is a way to redeem the time.
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