A new year. Time once again to reflect on the passage of time. The more we age, the more we understand the adage that “the older you get, the faster time goes.” We become more aware of how quickly time flies by, and suddenly we are at an age where we know we have more days behind us than we have before us. James observes, “you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” In Psalm 78 we are told that God remembers we are but flesh, “a wind that passes and comes not again.”
Our time on this earth is limited. Time is a valuable resource, one that is not renewable. Once a moment passes, it is gone forever; we can’t get it back. The apostle Paul challenges us to look carefully at how we walk through this life, to walk wisely, not foolishly. He calls on us to redeem the time, to make the best use of the time God has given us.
We may be challenged by the busy-ness of life. We may fill our lives with all kinds of activities, pursuits, responsibilities, and stress. We may just sit and vegetate. David writes in Psalm 31 “My times are in your hand.” Those whom Christ has saved belong to Him. Their time is in His hands. We always have time for the things we value. Do we value the salvation that Christ has purchased for us? Do we value the One Who’s birth we have just celebrated, the One Who took our sins and gave us His righteousness?
This year will soon pass, and another new year will come. Will we redeem the time? Or will we squander the time we have been given? On that day when we stand before God, what account will we give for our stewardship of the time He gave us? It’s a matter of priorities. Jesus said that we are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. He said the greatest commandment was to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. If our priorities are in order, if our love is demonstrated by our obedience, then we will seek to redeem the time for our good and for Christ’s glory.
Pastor Haney
