Can Time Be Bought?

Where has time gone?  Seriously, look in the mirror.  It may seem like yesterday that you were playing in the fields barefoot and without a care.  God had a good bit to say about time and the swiftness of the passing thereof.  Life is like a vapor, it appears for a while and then suddenly we’re old and wishing we had some time back.  Probably all of us have a desire to take a season back, perhaps a season that we wish we would have cherished more than we did.  The truth is, we cannot take time back once it has passed.  Time is the equalizing currency.  The President and the poor man both have 24 hours in a day.  Each has 24 hours in a day and 168 hours in a week.  Neither can beg, steal, borrow time.  As husbands, fathers, grandfathers, and leaders time is often absorbed with schedules that are full.  Some perhaps even feeling as if you live on minutes and not even by the hour.  The hustle bustle of the busyness of life can cause us to unknowingly and unintentionally allow precious time slip.  Our first mission field is at home and unfortunately the quality “family time” is often the first thing that our busy schedule omits.

As I previously noted we cannot steal time, beg for more time, or even borrow it.  However, according to scripture, we can “buy” it.  [Eph 5:15-16 KJV] 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time because the days are evil. This word “redeeming” here is the Greek word ἐξαγοράζω, transliterated as exagorazō.  According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, this word means to “buy up”. We know obviously, this transaction isn’t monetary but it is expensive.  In order have more time it will cost us.  So here we go, four practical and Biblical ways to “redeem” time.

Start Early –  The quietest time of day free of interruptions is early morning.  Jesus modeled this [Mar 1:35 KJV] And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.  When we start our day with devotion, prayer, and submission to God we will find the rest of our day we seem to have even more time than we did before.  Those early morning hours will cost us.  It will cost us an hour or so of sleep, but the price of purchasing this time is well worth it.

Be Present –  stop “phubbing” your family.  The term phubbing is a new term for snubbing those around us with our phones.  The impact is real.  Recent studies say that the average adult spends 2 hours 51 minutes on a smartphone daily.  In a lifespan that equates to 8.3 years of our lives spent on smartphones.  Walk into any restaurant after church on a Sunday.  You’ll most likely see, dad, mom, and kids all sitting together for a meal, but all of them are engaged with their head slightly bowed as they connect with others.  The family is together in the same place but not connecting in any meaningful way.  Same with many living rooms and kitchen tables.  Being present will cost us connectivity to our devices but will gain us connectivity in the moment.

Say No  – In ministry there are so many good things to do.  The hardest thing to do is to say NO to something that is GOOD to do.  We can say YES to so many things that we are what is termed as “a mile wide and an inch deep”.  The temptation is to say yes to everything that is good.  We can be engaged in so many good things that we aren’t doing the God things.  At times we must say no to “good” so we can say “yes” to the best.  Every “yes” we surrender is pregnant with a “no”.  Saying yes to something is saying no to something else.  We cannot live with guilt for saying no.  The duty is finding God’s will, seeking his face, hearing from the Lord and then laser focusing on what God has purposed for us.  We can’t be in more than one place at once and multitasking is a figment of our imaginations.  We can only cognitively do one thing at a time.  Find God’s will and politely say “no” so you can say the best “yes”.   Saying no can be costly as well.  Some may not understand our reasons, but we must say yes to God.  Please God rather than pacify man.

Evaluate Your Day – Finally, never start a day without having evaluated the day before.  Real reflection and self-discernment will confront and often convict us.  We must self-evaluate and ask the Holy Ghost to reveal to us how to better steward the gift of time.  [1Co 11:31 KJV] For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.   Psalm 139:23 also demonstrates surrender to God asking to search our hearts and evaluate us.  [Psa 139:23 KJV] Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.  I challenge you to journal your day.  How much time is spent on projects, work, phone calls, meetings, prayer, and family?  Categorize these, keep a log and evaluate daily and search for opportunities to redeem time.  I recently tried this and was alarmed at some of the out of balance commitments I had made.  As men of integrity, we must hold ourselves accountable.

Buying time will cost us.  Remember your family is the loudest sermon – preach well.