In Ephesians 5:16, we read the following, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. In this text, “redeeming the time” is given as a cure for foolishness. It is how the wise walk circumspectly, recognizing that the days are evil. If we are also going to overcome in these evil days, then we must have the wisdom to redeem the time. Another cure for foolishness is given as “understanding what the will of the Lord is”: “Therefore do not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:16). Thus, “redeeming the time” and “understanding what the will of the Lord is” go hand in hand since both are given as antidote for foolishness. Practically, you can only redeem the time if you know what the time is meant for. Therefore, using the time judiciously to do what you want may still amount to waste and foolishness in the sight of God if we end up filling our days and busying ourselves with activities not sanctioned by God. Those who do so may become like those whose works will be burnt by fire and will receive no reward (1 Corinthians 3:10-15) or those who are driven away from the presence God and His Kingdom on the day of judgment (Mathew 7:21-23). Thus, to redeem the time is to use the time for what it is meant for according to the will of God. This is what counts before God. This is how to live wisely and overcome the evil in these evil days. To know the will of God, you must give yourself continually to the Word of God and prayer (Acts 6:4). The Word of God is the will of God. God’s word reveals His ways, counsel, and intent—His will. And through prayer, you will dominate your flesh, making you more sensitive to the power, Spirit and voice of God (cf. James 5:16-17). The two, the Word and prayer, must go hand in hand. By these you shall know the will of God and by knowing God’s will you can redeem the time.
To “redeem” is also to exchange for something of value. Even so, to redeem the time is to exchange your time for value. The phrase “redeeming the time” is also translated as “making the most of every opportunity” or “making the most of your time” (Ephesians 5:16). This means that the time you have is the opportunity God has given you. It is the currency God has given you to exchange for value. And you must make the most of it. To waste the time is to waste the opportunities God has given you.
A biblical way to make the most of your time is to make sure that are sowing the right kinds of seeds every moment of your life because all of life is made up of the law of sowing and reaping: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 5:7-8). Each passing moment is an opportunity given you by God to sow what is of value for this life and the one which is to come. You can waste, misuse or abuse it by letting the time slip by or using it for what God does not approve of. Or, we can heed the scriptural advise to “not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Galatians 6:9). It is not just the sowing of a good seed that leads to the full harvest at the appointed time but the consistent sowing of good seeds without growing weary (cf. Galatians 6:9). This means that every seed sown at each point in time is important; they all add up to the reaping the harvest at the appointed time. However, not every seed sown generates the final harvest you desire. This is why you should consistently sow your seed without getting weary. Therefore, we are advised in Scripture to do good or sow the right kinds of seeds as long as we have the opportunity” (cf. Galatians 5:10). This is how you redeem the time and make the most of every opportunity. Ecclesiastes 9:6 expresses the same truth from a philosophical point of view in this way: “Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good’ (Ecclesiastes 11:6).
Another biblical way to redeem the time and make the most of your every opportunity can be found in Colossians 3:23-24: “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve (Colossians 3:23-24). Your greatest opportunities will show up with the passage of time and would most likely come unannounced in your mundane tasks and the in drudgery of daily life. Following the biblical instruction to do all your work wholeheartedly as unto God will be your wisdom to redeem the time and make the most of every opportunity.
To redeem is also to buy back. Even so, by redeeming the time, i.e., using the time for what it is meant for according to God’s will, exchanging our time for value, and doing all our work wholeheartedly as unto God, we can also be blessed to buy back all or some of the time we may have lost (cf. Joel 2:25).
Seeing that our days are numbered (Psalm 103:15-16, Hebrews 9:27), and all that we shall be tomorrow and for all eternity is dependent on the time we have today, let us resolve to redeem the time each day. This is how we walk in wisdom and in the will of God, overcome the evil days, and apprehend that by which we were apprehended by God (cf. Philippians 3:12)
Dr. K. Omari
July 5, 2024.
A Very Important Message
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Therefore, If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, I invite you to put your faith in Him. Pray the prayer below to accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour: “I come to you God in Jesus’ name and surrender my life unto you. I repent of my sins and I ask You to forgive me all my sins. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and I believe with my heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead. I thank you God for saving me, in Jesus name, Amen”. If you sincerely prayed this prayer, believe and be assured that you are saved, for the Bible says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13, Romans 10:9-10, Acts 16:31). Find a Bible believing church to attend so that you can be discipled to grow in the ways of God. You can also email me ([email protected]) and I will be happy to grow together with you in Christ.