"The great wall of China stretches about 4,500 miles and was built entirely by hand. The Great Depression was the longest and worst period of unemployment in world history. Alexander the Great conquered the entire known world before he was 30 years old. And a great dane can weigh 175 pounds.
Those are some pretty impressive greats. But there are two other greats that are greater than all others. They are the great commandments of Christ, to love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself, and the Great Commission to take the Gospel to the whole world.
These two greats give us valuable insight into how to spend each moment of our day. When considering options of what to do with an unplanned evening, evaluate each possibility in terms of the great commission and the great commandment. You’ll be surprised at how much insight and direction can be gained by using these two reference points in determining how we should redeem the time.
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"Did you hear about the man who was so old he no longer bought green bananas?
Well if that joke were true, we could at least say he took into account his remaining years when making his daily plans. And that’s more than many of us do when it comes to thinking about our time. One of the reasons so many people arrive at retirement in poor health and with little means of support is a lack of lifetime planning.
Life planning requires initiative and daily effort. It’s much easier to spend an evening watching sitcoms and eating chips and dip, than it is to go for a brisk walk in the park and hand out Gospel tracts with your children. But, which one will you be glad you did at the end of your life?
So what are your plans for this evening? Learning to think and plan for a lifetime, not just a lunch time is a much better way to redeem the time.
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"A young lady got on an elevator one morning humming a happy tune.
""What have you got to be so happy about?"" asked an old grouch.
""For one thing, I have never lived this day before."" she answered cheerfully.
She was exactly right! The Lord has given you something very valuable today. You have 24 precious hours today to do something with. It is a day you have never lived before - a day you shall never live again.
Those 24 hours are a priceless gift. They have been given to you by your creator, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.""
The Lord has given you these 24 hours for a purpose. There is something He wants you to do. So spend that time wisely by listening for His instruction and redeeming the time.
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"A man complained to his Dr. “Doc, every time I drink coffee I get this stabbing pain in my right eye.” The Dr. asked, “Did you ever try taking the spoon out of the cup first?”
Lots of people it seems have “I” problems. Their entire daily focus is on me, myself, and I. Language research shows that one of the most commonly used words in any language is “I”. But it doesn’t take much research to figure out the number one concern of most people is “I”.
Today as you meet new people, be conscious of how much time you spend talking about yourself. Try your best to tip the conversation to the interest of the other person or to the Lord. Be sure to learn their name and use it often during conversation. Remember to smile and look them in the eye.
Jesus gave us the example of living a life focused on serving others. Let’s follow that example today if we want to redeem the time.
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