The Time Police

As a high school teacher, I learned quickly that I must keep my eye on the clock. A class period was 45 minutes, and students loved to get me “off topic” by asking about my weekend and the weather. I knew that five minutes wasted each day would total two weeks of learning time lost by the end of the school year. To accomplish my objectives, I enforced the class regulations with the vigilance of a wary police officer.

As I read Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae, I am reminded that daily I must adopt a similar attitude about how I share my faith. Paul encourages Christ followers to seize every moment of time with wisdom and purpose. I must be watchful for opportunities to share the Good News with my co-workers, neighbors, and family. The term “redeeming” here implies that we are to zealously buy back moments for Kingdom purposes like a greedy merchant who is seeking to make a profit.

Recently, I read a book that encouraged me to track my time for one week to see where I might find pockets of free time to pursue my passions. I quickly discovered that I was tossing away lots of valuable time trolling Facebook that I could have set aside for outreach.

Time is sacred, and we are called to offer each day to the Lord. A wise steward understands that this involves sacrifice. The world will try to distract us with selfish pursuits, but we must stay in tune with the Spirit so that we don’t miss openings to share the Good News. We want to guard our time, rather than squander it.

As you start your week, pray over your calendar. What is on your schedule that will provide a possible open door for you to share your God story? Is there someone you can call and meet for coffee? Ask God to help you be bold in your interactions with your lost friends and family.

Time is short. Let’s keep our eye on the clock and snag every minute we can to share the reason for the Hope that is within us.