by Jaqui Dolly (Assistant Stewardship Director)
“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise but understanding what the will
of the Lord is.” –Philippians 5:16, 17.
We are all given the same block of time each day. Twenty-four hours. Nobody gets a second more or a second
less. What we do with this 24-hour period dictates whether we get to spend a timeless eternity with the Great
Time Giver.
As stewards, how should we use our 24 hours? Is every portion of this 24 hours to be consumed in making a
living, so that there is no time for leisure or for GOD? Should we spend all of it on the things of GOD, so that
there is no time for family or for friends? Is there an optimal balance of time that none of us know? GOD never
leaves us to guess how we are to do anything that pertains to our salvation, and He certainly has not left us to
do guesswork concerning the wise use of our time.
At the end of the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24, Jesus told us how to use our time while we wait for His
return. The first thing He told us is that we are to spend time serving His church. He called us faithful servants
for doing so. This is where we use our varied spiritual gifts to edify the church. Said Christ, “Blessed is that
servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find doing so” (Matthew 24:46).
The second thing that Jesus told us is that we must spend time seeking the Holy Spirit in our lives. He calls
Him, The Oil. It is not enough to know the Word of GOD and have our lamps lit. We must have a relationship
with GOD through the indwelling presence of The Holy Ghost. Bible knowledge without The Holy Spirit attracts
no one to our GOD. That is why Jesus told us to abide in Him. It is by abiding, staying, tarrying with Jesus that
the Holy Ghost fills our lives and cause us to bear “much fruit” (John 15:1-10).
The third thing Jesus told us is that we must spend time working for an income. Whatever talents and natural
abilities we possess must be used to earn a living. We should never use the nearness of Jesus’ Second Coming
as an excuse to not work. Ecclesiastes 7:12 tells us, “Wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense….” So, it is
prudent for us to work to provide ourselves with the necessities of life—food, clothes, shelter. No honest
labor should be considered menial and unworthy, as is represented by the man with the one talent.
The fourth that Jesus told us is that we must spend time sharing what we have acquired with those who are
less fortunate than ourselves and in need. So important is this that Jesus attaches the care, concern, and help
we give to people in need to Himself. Said Jesus, “Whatever you did to the least…you did to me” (Matthew
25:40).
And finally, the fifth thing that Jesus told us is that we must spend time in leisure. That is why he said “come
ye yourselves apart… and rest awhile” (Mark 6:31). This is not the weekly Sabbath rest, but rather a time when
work—temporal and spiritual—is laid aside for establishing strong, loving, social relationships with family and
friends. The hustle and bustle of life are briefly forgotten, and our attention is turned to enjoying Earth’s
natural environments and fellowship with those we love. This is the will of GOD for us.
We have all wasted time, and some of the above tasks have remained undone. Thankfully, we can redeem
time. How so when time once wasted is gone forever? GOD is gracious, and He will account the better use of
our time going forward as redemption for time previously wasted. Therefore, let us incorporate Jesus’ end-
time advice into the routine of our lives while we await His return. And let us carefully consider this question
at the end of each day: “How much closer has the use of my time brought me to GOD today?”