15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Wasting time constitutes a monumental sin, for once it is spent it is completely gone, never to be re-spent. We have only one opportunity to use each moment that comes our way. The struggle with sin is not something to be put off for another day, for today is the day. There is no moment to lose.
This admonition finds fertile soil only among the faithful who fully realize that they “… have been bought with a price,” and therefore desire “to glorify God in your body” (1 Cor 6:20). In the NKJV, the phrase “bought with a price” is translated with the familiar “redeemed,” which that translation also uses in our text today, “redeeming the time” for “making the most of your time.” The underlying Greek word can be translated, to buy something out for one’s personal use, to take something away with a purchase price.
We need to take each moment of each day, and make the most of it—that only makes sense, when we consider that evil never takes a break. Considered from a godly, spiritual perspective, evil confronts us every day in some form or another, whether selfishness as an inward attitude, or as an outward manifestation of prideful interactions. The wise thing is to be continuously vigilant, to be walking wisely, keeping our spiritual eyes open and aware.
To redeem the time, what a concept! It means taking ownership of the moment in which I am currently living. I may not always choose my circumstances, or control what other people do. But I can choose how I respond to the time that is given me. Redeeming the time means not seeing myself as floating passively along like a cork on the stream of time. Neither does it mean responding with knee jerk reactions to the events in my life. Rather, I choose to respond with wisdom to make the most of my circumstances. Foolishness focusses on how I can make it from one minute to the next and stay intact. But wisdom sees time as a commodity to be used for a greater purpose.
The will of God for us is found in using every moment in service to the glory of God. Even those moments when all hell breaks loose to drag us down into spiritual discouragement or depression or fear. We can still choose to redeem the time. Every day can be our downfall from the forces of the enemy, or in Christ, we can make the most of what is given us, even in the best of times and the worst of times (Dickens).
Lord, thank You for the time You have given me. I want to use it all for Your glory and purposes. Help me resist temptations to use my time foolishly.
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