Col. 4:5 ¶ Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Time is precious. We may not often think about time in this way but time is part of God’s creation. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and at the same time created time and space. Just as the Lord has His existence outside of space, He also lives outside of time. That seems so strange to us because the world of time is all we know. Just as God’s creation is a gift to us, so is time. We have a carefully measured amount of it allotted to each of us. No one knows when our time is complete. That’s why the apostle Paul told us to redeem the time. Redeem means to buy back or in other words make the most out of every moment we have been given. Time is short and precious, eternity is near. Here are some thoughts from Albert Barnes on today’s verse.
“There are many allurements and temptations that would lead you away from the proper improvement of time, and that would draw you into sin. Such were those that would tempt them to go to places of sinful indulgence and revelry, where their time would be wasted, and worse than wasted. As these temptations abounded, they ought therefore to be more especially on their guard against a sinful and unprofitable waste of time. This exhortation may be addressed to all, and is applicable to all periods. The sentiment is, that we ought to be solicitous to improve our time to some useful purpose, because there are, in an evil world, so many temptations to waste it. Time is given us for most valuable purposes. There are things enough to be done to occupy it all, and no one need have it hang heavy on his hands. He that has a soul to be saved from eternal death need not have one idle moment. He that has a heaven to win has enough to do to occupy all his time. Man has just enough given him to accomplish all the purposes which God designs, and God has not given him more than enough.”
People are perishing without Christ all around us. Part of our responsibility as Christians is to let people know the importance of knowing Christ in the light of this shortness of time. Soon, we will each give an account of our stewardship as Christians when we stand before the Lord. Paul was keenly aware of this, that’s why he says “Redeem the time”.
