8 Words That Have Helped Me Redeem the Time

We all have 1,440 minutes in a day. Try as you might, it is impossible to add time! It is possible, however, to make a wiser investment of the time that you have. Paul was led of the Holy Spirit to tell us twice about “redeeming the time” (Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:5).

Are you spending your life or investing it? This means more than proper “time management.” Life is about emphasis. A divinely ordered life and ministry will help you place the emphasis on that which is eternal.

Order is more than organization. I am happy that in the early years of my life and ministry, I was put in a position where there was more to get done than there was time. Hard work never hurt anyone and my pastor was right when he told me that most people never become what they could because no one was ever hard on them. God’s servant said it this way, “It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth” (Lamentations 3:27).

Through the years, I have had to learn how my own mind works and when I am most productive. Through observation, instruction, and plenty of trial and error I have had to discover how to make my time count. Every day I continue to be instructed about how to accomplish the most with the one life I have…and the one day I am living at a time.

Over the years, I have shared some simple words of advice with others that have helped me be a wiser steward of the time God has given me. Permit me to share the 8 words that have helped me redeem the time.

1. Eliminate

As we grow, some things must die. Eliminate peripheral things that are not necessary. Excessive recreation and entertainment are major time wasters. Remove distractions, and you will have more time to concentrate on the things that matter most.

2. Delegate

Some people work harder without working smarter. Learn to put other people to work. This is easier to do if you have people working for you, but it can be done with volunteers. Enlist people in a great cause. Delegation should never be done to avoid work; it is done so that more work is accomplished! And we have the time to concentrate on the work that only we can do.

3. Designate

Designate daily tasks and priorities. I work off of a checklist every day. Put tasks in order of priority and attack them one at a time.  Try to do something you can accomplish as you start your day. Finish something! It may be small, but it will help you gain some momentum as you begin the day’s work.

Then, take on the hard tasks first. We all tend to put off those projects that are most difficult, but it is better to attack them when you are fresh. Give your best energy and first effort to the challenging needs. You will be glad you did later in the day.

Also, try to work on only one thing at a time. “Multi-taskers” spend a lot of energy but often fail to marshal their energy to get things accomplished. There really is no such thing as multitasking. The human brain does not work that way. Really we are just “context switching” and every time we switch, we lose time and waste energy.

4. Appropriate

If it is important enough to make the list, it is important enough to set aside time to do it. Appropriate blocks of time for each task. Nothing (and I mean nothing) just happens. Be intentional about your work. Refuse to get sidetracked. Live by a schedule.

Work on those larger jobs a little every day. You cannot do it all today, but you can do something! Keep pushing forward, one step at a time. Move the ball a little closer to the goal.

5. Locate

When you are about to start a project, locate all of the information, supplies, and resources that you need before you begin your work. Much time is wasted chasing down all of the necessary pieces. Your work will go more smoothly and quickly if you are prepared as you start your work.

6. Notate

Write it down. Do not try to remember. Do not expect others to remember. Carry something with you to keep notes and reminders. Write it down! I live by lists. When you write it down, it helps you not to forget, and it encourages you to prioritize. You will also find that as you make notes on what needs to get done, you will think of other things you had not yet considered. A short pencil (or mobile device) is better than a long memory.

7. Undertake

“Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.” The greatest way to get more done is to help someone else get something done. This sounds strange, but it is God’s way. God will bless your labors as you seek to encourage someone else in their work.

8. Dedicate

I save this one last because it is most important. Dedicate yourself every day to the Lord and His divine purpose. Spend time in His Word and in prayer. You do not have time not to! Martin Luther said, “I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” Remember that you never waste time waiting on God.

Ask God to guide your work. If you ask the Lord to order your thoughts, your words, and your work you will get much more done. Acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He really will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Follow the Leading of the Holy Spirit

A schedule is good. Order is necessary. Working efficiently and redeeming the time are good things to practice. But organization is not the goal. Spirit-filled people are willing for God to interrupt their best-laid plans. Seek to make the most of every moment, but remember that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours. He may have a divine appointment for you that is not on your calendar. Nothing affects what we do with time like the thought of eternity.

Determine to make every moment count by giving it to God – He can do more with it than you can. This is the way to get the most done with the life you have left.

Psalm 90, Moses’ prayer and the oldest psalm in the Bible, gives each of us a good prayer for our lives: “And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.” May God give you strength and much fruit for your labor today!

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About Scott Pauley

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