Redeeming the Time

I feel like I’ve had a lot of “down time” or wasted time in my life. I’ve spent lots of time waiting in doctor’s offices, waiting for my number to be called at the Motor Vehicle Department, in grocery store lines, and in traffic jams, just to name a few.

Whenever I find myself groaning or sighing because of my lack of patience or think about how time is slipping through my fingers, I am always reminded of Paul’s statement about “redeeming the time.” The NIV translates Paul in this way:

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. (Ephesians 5:15-17)

One of the ways that time can be redeemed is through prayer. No matter what we’re doing, where we are, and what the circumstance is, we can pray. We can pray for ourselves (including our patience). We can pray for the people that are surrounding us and we can ask the LORD to work in the lives of people and circumstances that are on the other side of our planet. As my friend Cho, in his South Korean accent would say, “It is epishent!” James says that prayer is powerful and effective (James 5:16).

On the other hand, I’ve noticed that I spend a good amount of time on “wishful” thinking. While there are probably some good things that could be said about wishful thinking, how resourceful or beneficial is wishful thinking? In contrast to prayer, it’s probably like the difference between a dream and reality…