Redeeming the Time

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Making the most of your time, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16)

It is common not to finish what we begin. Sometimes a symphony is unfinished, a painting uncompleted, or a project left half–done because the musician, painter, or worker dies. But usually it is simply the death of a person's commitment that causes the incompletion. Dreams never become reality and hopes never materialize because those working toward them never get beyond the first few steps. For many people, including many Christians, life can be a series of unfinished symphonies. Even in the familiar opportunities of everyday Christian living, those who are truly productive have mastered the use of the hours and days of their lives.

Whether in the artistic, business, personal, or spiritual realm, no one can turn a dream into reality or fully take advantage of opportunity apart from making the most of [his] time.

Paul did not here use chronos, the term for clock time, the continuous time that is measured in hours, minutes, and seconds. He rather used kairos, which denotes a measured, allocated, fixed season or epoch. The idea of a fixed period is also seen in the use of the definite article in the Greek text, which refers to the time, a concept often found in Scripture (cf. Ex. 9:5; 1 Pet. 1:17). God has set boundaries to our lives, and our opportunity for service exists only within those boundaries. It is significant that the Bible speaks of such times being shortened, but never of their being lengthened..