3 Reasons You Must Redeem Time

One early autumn morning in 1995, I had an experience that eventually became a core catalyst for my resolve to live on purpose. It was just after 5am.

On an interstate trip during my home visit to mourn my dad and pay final respects, we were attacked by heavily armed robbers on the motorway.

In the chaos, passengers in my coach broke windows in an attempt to flee to safety. When I eventually made it out behind the bus, I was in shock. Then something terrifying happened: a van drove past and pointed directly at me was a semi-automatic firearm.

25 years later, that experience and the image of my eyes locked with the cold-blooded robber pointing his gun at me often replays in my mind. He could have easily pulled the trigger.

God gives us the gift of life but not without the burden of responsibility and accountability. Consider your life as an investment on earth and the currency time.

In 1995, I was blessed with the gift of more time on earth but with a burden to make it count. This is important for three essential reasons.

Life is a conditional gift

In Matthew 25:14-30, a rich man left his resources in the care of three servants. One servant completely undermines the purpose of this gracious act and paid an irreversible price for it.

You are given life for a purpose and each time you spend is an investment with eternal consequence. You will give an account to God for your time on earth. 

Don’t waste the gift of the time you have; use it wisely.

Time is what we want most but what we use worst.

William Penn

We are not guaranteed tomorrow

Notwithstanding the biblical promises of life we are quick to claim (and we should), God doesn’t give us any blanket guarantee of tomorrow on earth. All we have is now.

We don’t all have the same time. Some may have 2 days, 20 years or 98 years. Whatever God appoints you, you don’t control tomorrow.

Don’t waste today; you’re not guaranteed tomorrow.

The stakes couldn’t be higher

We live in evil days and the stakes couldn’t be higher — Ephesians 5:16-17, Mark 8:36-37. How we use time each day determines our eternal outcome.

If men could give anything in exchange for their souls, they would. But they can’t. We can’t. You can’t. The stakes are high, friends.

If you invest your life and time into things that don’t matter, you will waste your life.

My experience in 1995 left a tangible marker that would propel me years later on a quest to discover my purpose.

Your time is limited. Make each day count. Live with eternity in view.

Only one life, t’will soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last!

C.T. Studd

Photo credit: Aron Visuals on Unsplash