“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16

Time is the most valuable commodity. It’s so precious that you cannot buy more of it; once it’s lost, it cannot be regained. Now, one would think that with the extreme importance of time, people would manage it better, but you would be wrong. It’s a fact that time is one of the most abused and wasted commodities on earth. This explains why we must make the most of it (Ephesians 5:15-16). No wonder Moses prays to the Lord, saying, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (Psalm 90:12).” But the question is, how do we make the most of each day?

It’s often said that the whole is worth more than its component pieces. A store is more than its inventory, a book more than individual pages, and a meal more than its ingredients. And life is more than its days. It’s what one does with the components that make a thing live. It must become more than just the sum of its parts. The component pieces of life are the days. Each is a gift from God and perhaps a smattering of good luck. The time we have is the time we have. We can only receive with gratitude what has been allotted to us and attempt to make it count for more than the sum of its parts.

Psalm 39:4 says, “Show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days. Let me know how fleeting my life is.

Writing under house arrest, Paul recognized the looming weight of mortality and the limiting pressure of life’s inevitable restraints. The days are malicious, wicked, and even tyrannical. They are, in a word, evil. We must make an effort to redeem each moment for a greater purpose. When we look back on the catalog of our days, what will we see? Will it be a collection of moments lived solely for themselves or for the pursuit of self-joy and self-happiness? Or will it be something more meaningful, with a deeper purpose and greater impact on ourselves and those around us?

Or will our days rise above the level of inventory and ingredients to a place of impact and influence? First, we must make them amount to more. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day hustle and bustle of life, constantly striving for personal satisfaction from moment to moment. But if we never stop considering the bigger picture, we risk missing out on opportunities for growth and fulfillment that come from living with intention and purpose. Perhaps instead of focusing solely on our happiness, we can strive to create a meaningful and fulfilling life in the present moment and in hindsight. Colossians 4:5 says, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.”

Prayer:
1. Psalm 31:15 -My times are in your hand, oh Lord; rescue me from the hands of my enemies of a time waster and my persecutors!