The Gift Of Time

by Micky Galloway

There are many things commanded in the scripture that require time. The question is, “Are you a giver of time or are you a thief?” Do you give your time, thus giving your self or do you steal and rob time from God and from others?

We are living in an age when, it seems, that most are ignorant of the importance of “redeeming the time.” I would to God that something could be said or done that would cause Christians to awake to this need. Jobs and social lives are ruling us and there is no time for living life. Families suffer, husbands and wives are frustrated, children are neglected, the church suffers and souls are lost. There are so many extra-curricular interests that there is little or no time to do what God commands us. We must, “Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise: redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). As we note the word “redeeming,” we find it to be composed of two words; ex and agorazo, thus, ex-agorazo. Young defines the term as, “to acquire out of the forum.” Thayer defines it as “to redeem; to buy up.” He says the meaning in Ephesians 5:16 and Colossians 4:5 seems to be “to make a wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good” (Lexicon, p. 220).

In the parable of the great supper, all who were invited began to make excuse (Luke 14:15ff). One asked to be excused on the basis that he needed to see a new piece of ground; another needed to test a yoke of oxen; and a third had married a wife. It seems that all these people were hindered by the same problem. Each was saying in his own way, “I do not have time to attend the supper for I have something else to do.” It may be that none of them wanted to attend the feast and simply allowed his schedule to become so filled that he would not have time. Or, possibly, some would have enjoyed going to the feast, but did not know how to manage the use of their time where they could accept the invitation.

People have not changed much, if any, over the past two thousand years. Excuses still sound much the same. One of the most common excuses heard today is, “I don’t have time … I need more time.” Do you hear yourself?

It takes time to be a good husband or wife. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it” (Ephesians 5:25). And “in like manner dwell with (your wives) according to knowledge” (I Peter 3:7). The expression, “in like manner” implies that this is a reciprocal relationship. It takes time to be a good companion. When husbands and wives do not take the time for each other someone is being robbed. Bitterness, resentment, loneliness, and sometimes even adultery results because we did not take the time necessary to be a good companion.

It takes time to be a good parent. Parents have the responsibility for the spiritual education of their children. Ephesians 6:4 exhorts us to bring up our children “in the chastening and admonition of the Lord.” “Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Paul said to Timothy who had been taught by his grandmother and mother in II Timothy 3:15, “And that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” The Jews were told, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). No parent should deny his child the treasure of Bible knowledge. Are we fulfilling this obligation to teach them of our God and how we may serve him? Time is swiftly passing on. If we fail, there is no second chance!

It takes time to worship. After Israel’s return from captivity, they erected an altar and sacrificed on it burnt offerings to the Lord (Ezra 3:26). They also gathered materials with which to build the temple; and in the second year, the work began (Ezra 4:1-24). Soon their enthusiasm cooled, the work ceased, and God’s house lay waste. Their hearts were not sufficiently motivated to cause them to arise and build. Interestingly enough, neither danger nor difficulty prevented them from building themselves luxurious houses. But, regarding God’s house, they said, “It is not the time (for us) to come, the time for Jehovah’s house to be built” (Haggai 1:2). The prophet Haggai reproved them and asked, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses, while this house lieth waste?” He said, “consider your ways” (Haggai 1:4-5,7). To worship God acceptably is to practice more than a “form of godliness” (II Timothy 3:5). Our worship must not be in vain (cf. Matthew 15:9). Acceptable worship must be offered in spirit (with the proper attitude) and in truth (acts that are according to the revealed truth), that we might be drawn closer to the God of heaven.

It takes time to visit those in need. “Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction” (James 1:27). In fact whether or not one visited the sick or those in prison, meant the difference between eternal life and eternal punishment. Romans 12:13 teaches that we are to communicate “to the necessities of the saints” and be “given to hospitality.”

It takes time to teach the lost. God requires men to love the souls of the lost. If we love the souls of the lost we will work to teach them the truth. “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and (then) cometh the harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white already unto harvest” (John 4:35). In II Corinthians 6:2 we read, “now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” These words are often cited in pleading with the lost to obey the gospel. But brethren, if “now” is the accepted time to obey the gospel, then “now” is also the accepted time to teach the gospel. The task is not done, we have no guarantee of tomorrow.

If we are not careful, time to develop such characteristics of holiness will be gone! “It takes time to be holy!”

Procrastination entices us to wait. It tells us that tomorrow the work will be easier or more effective. At first it may be just a matter of days that we intend to wait … then weeks and months … until finally we lose interest and just give up. An old proverb says, “Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” In the book of Ecclesiastes it is expressed this way, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do (it) with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). He who waits about the salvation of his soul and the souls of others may at last join the ancient Jews and cry, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20). Behold, the gift of time has passed and it is too late.