Ephesians 5:16 “Redeeming
the time, because the days are evil”
This is a super
powerful verse that we need to keep in the back of our minds…actually this is a
verse that have memorized because I
think that it is so important to us.
Paul is giving the church at Ephesis a pretty simple and concise thought
here. Loosely translated in the
Levi Arnold Revised Edition, he is saying, Is what you are doing with your time
going to benefit you, God, or others in a way that is productive? Now a days it seems that everyone’s
favorite word is….*drum roll*…”I’m busy.”
Okay…many times that is very very true…people ARE busy. Now, here’s my question to those people…is
your busyness hampering your effectiveness. Is “I’m busy” and excuse for the fact that you are
un-organized or un-concerned about how you spend your time…and if you’re a Christian…God’s
time?? Are you busy or are you
effective? What I’m trying to get
across is that in the increasingly busy world, we need to examine our lives and
schedules and see what we have in them that we could really do without, or that
really isn’t benefiting us, God, or others in a productive or helpful way. Think about this…If Solomon AND God
were to sit down with you and go through your entire last week, what would they
find? Would they find that you are
very careful and productive with all of your time, or would they find that you’re
‘friterous’ with your time and really kinda let other people ‘control’ your
time. What I encourage everybody
to do is to go through their life and find most/all of the
non-productive/wasteful things that take up their time, and replace them with
things that are productive. Now I’m
NOT saying that occasional fun things that really don’t benefit you are bad,
but a lifestyle of those things IS bad.
I don’t think that I have to list ALL the things that are exempt from
what I’m saying, but I REALLY REALLY hope you’re getting what I’m trying to
say. Just pick things that are
going to make you a better or more productive person, as much as you can!!! J I really hope you get what I’m trying
to say!! Don’t not have fun, but
DO use you’re time in a way that you think God would be pleased with!! :D
WOW...definitely a good take on this verse!!!!! We all could learn so much more about time management!!!! I remember a preacher once that diagramed the average time an American spends on work, play, etc. You know the one thing Americans spent the most time on was tv and the internet!!!!!! Now watching tv every once in awhile is fine but when half of your week is spent in front of a tv or computer?!?!?...WOW...come on...seriously...get a life!!!!!!! Now I do know that today the internet can be used for work and stuff but most of the time people are on there for extended periods of time just surfing the web...NOT GOOD!!!!!! I've heard a saying once, "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." We don't schedule ourselves in order to keep ourselves busy enough to keep ourselves from getting in trouble!!!!! Another thing that I can't understand is when someone is asked to do something to help with the church or a ministry and they say they're too busy....now I understand that there are some people who are...but...seriously...if you're going to schedule in some movie time for yourself then you should schedule in some time for God....if you can schedule in some play time for you then you DEFINITELY should have some time for HIM!!!!!!!! I can't stand how so many Christians get wrapped up in their work and money and everything else but they can't find time to help in the ministry on the weekends!!!!!!! If God gave you that breath you breath through the week to work, play, and do whatever it is you do then you can give Him your time on the weekends!!!!!! If only people realized how much more they could get done in their lives if they managed their time better!!!!! This was a really good take on this verse!!!!!!!! I loved the question "are you busy or are you effective?" it made me examine some things in my life to see where I could fix some things and be more effective with the time that I have!!!!!! Good job Levi!!!!:)
ReplyDeleteI can believe that pastors diagram...all you have to do is try to organize an event and whatda you know...EVERYONE is just absolutely SWAMPED with stuff that they have to do!! 'I'm busy' has really become just an excuse for people who are to lazy to do anything that would actually require them to W-O-R-K!!!! "An idle mind is the devil's workshop"...VERY true...especially now a days when there are SO many bad things that can draw our attention away from good things, staying busy...i mean effective/productive is one of the BEST things you can do to keep from doing wrong, because if you are doing good, wholesome, productive things, then you won't have time to do the things that are wrong!! I agree with you 100% on the ministry subject...I mean if you're getting asked to be the person who kids get to throw a pie at, that's one thing, but if you're being asked to teach/help in a class or do something that will better others lives for Christ, then you better have a REALLY REALLY REALLY good reason if you con't do it!!!! You're TOTALLY right!!!!!!!....I don't believe XBOX, the college football game, a business meeting, etc, is more important than someones soul.....I'm JUST sayin'!!!! Yes you're right about that as well...time management is a HUGE skill that most people don't use, that if they did use, would make their lives better!!!!! I like that quote to...we use it in our house A LOT!!!!!! Thanks Bre!!!!!:D
ReplyDeleteUGH....yes...i know exactly what you mean!!!!! hey there's that ugly word again... W-O-R-K!!!!! Well I thought about this again...those people who say they are busy?....they ARE busy...doing all the wrong things!!!! it's not just an excuse to them....they just don't see how much they are waisting their lives on things that don't mean anything...come on seriously....how much is that movie really going to help you in your life except waist your time!!!! How much is your "research" on the internet going to help you?!? If you don't schedule your research on the internet you can waist SO much time on there....speaking from experience!!!!:/. There are so many unimportant things in our lives that we can get wrapped up in that we miss the important things that would make our time spent effective!!!! You're welcome Levi!!!!:D You really hit the nail on the head with this one!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYep...the allergy word is what I call it!!! Yes YOUR'RE RIGHT!!!!!.....sometimes it's the wrong things as in WRONG, and other times it's wrong things as in 'Good, Better, Best'...is what they're spending they're time doing, a 'Best' thing??? You really have to look ahead, and think objectively...is _____________ really going to help me, or will there be a positive difference in me 5 years down the road because I did ______________???? Oh man you're right...and NOT alone on the 'research' subject, because I know EXACTLY what you mean...if you don't SCHEDULE then time does fly!!! SCHEDULE is the word of the year!!!....or should be!!!!:) I'm glad I hit the nail on the head, but as I was writing it, it kept hitting me on the head because I kept thinking of more things that I am doing that are 'Good' or 'Better' things instead of 'Best' things!!! Thinking and PLANNING can really help with this problem...I've started doing more thinking and planning in my schedule and it's REALLY helped!!!! I'm really glad you liked this one!!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I can't help but say this...you misspelled 'waist'...it's supposed to be 'waste'...and you're going to be a teacher??....poor kids!!!:P
And you would be right...it is one allergy you will find prevalent in this world!!! ohhhh....that's some good stuff right there...it's the "Good, better, best" decisions that are sometimes the hardest...you think....well it's good...but like you said...is it the best!!!!! I know....as I read your devotional I was doing the same thing!!!! haha....ok...ok...sorry...I was in a hurry as I typed...its WASTE...not WAIST!!!!!!:Dlol
ReplyDeleteThat's what dad and mom will say to us...is __________ 'Best' or 'Better'. And sometimes they, the decisions, aren't fun either!!!!:/
ReplyDeleteWell you shouldn't have been in a hurry!!...you should have taken your time and meditated over what you were going to say!!!!!:P
No they aren't!!!!!:/
ReplyDeletehaha...ok...ok...fine...sorry....next time I'll meditate for long periods of time before commenting!!!!:P