"God met with a man and asked him to take three rocks in a wagon to the top of a hill. Eager to please God, the man cheerfully obeyed, singing praises to the Lord as he went.
Soon a friend heard where he was going and asked if he would mind carrying an extra rock he had been needing to get up the hill himself but he just hadn’t had time. “I’d be delighted to!” the man replied. And off he went, a bit more burdened, but grateful he could serve his friend while serving the Lord.
But in each town he passed while going up the hill, another friend persuaded him to take another little burden of theirs until finally as he neared the top, the load became so heavy the man gave up the journey and became angry with God, asking, “Why did you give such a heavy load to bear?” Then, God took out the extra rocks and the burden became light again.
Remember, it is the extra rocks, which God never asked you to carry, that are hindering you from redeeming the time!
"
"One executive described his exercise program this way:
Monday:
Beat around the bush.
Jump to conclusions.
Climb the walls.
Wade through paperwork.
Tuesday:
Drag my heels.
Make mountains out of mole hills.
Hit the nail on the head.
Wednesday:
Bend over backwards.
Jump on the band wagon.
Balance the books.
Run around in circles.
Thursday:
Toot my own horn.
Climb the ladder of success.
Pull out the stops.
Add fuel to the fire.
Friday:
Open a can of worms.
Put my foot in my mouth.
Start the ball rolling.
Go over the edge.
Saturday:
Pick up the pieces.
It seems almost everyone these days is talking about the need to exercise. But few of us take the time to do it. Is it possible you could skip lunch today or tomorrow and go on a brisk walk instead?
God calls your body the temple of His Spirit. Keeping that temple in good shape is part of redeeming the time.
"
"An escaped convict from the Butte County Jail in California was captured and questioned by sheriff’s deputies. He explained his absence this way- I was pole vaulting and got too close to the wall and accidentally fell over the wall. When I regained my senses, I ran around the building trying to find my way back in. But since I didn’t know the area, I got lost. The next thing I knew I was in another town.
Sometimes our excuses can seem pretty shallow. Jesus gave a parable about a man who invited friends to a feast but each one came up with an excuse why he couldn’t attend. The Lord was making the point that we often rely on flimsy excuses for not doing what He really wants us to do with our time.
What thing are you procrastinating on right now? What flimsy excuses are you using to justify your behavior? The Lord can see right through them so why not put them behind you and start redeeming the time.
"
"A man was walking through a graveyard at midnight when he accidentally fell into a fresh grave prepared for a funeral the next day. After trying unsuccessfully to scale the wall he gave up and went to sleep. A few minutes later another man stumbled into the same grave. Not seeing the first man in the dark, he started climbing at the walls, until the first man said, “It’s no use you’ll never get out.” At which point the man immediately jumped from the grave.
The point of the story is, if we have enough motivation, it is surprising what we can accomplish. Sometimes that motivation can include a little fear motivation as well. It’s not popular today or pleasant to talk about fear motivation, but it is a Biblical concept.
Stop now and consider the fearful consequences of wasting the time God has given you and not accomplishing His will, because there is coming a day when we won’t escape the grave. Keep that in mind and you’ll redeem the time.
"