"Non-renewable Resources"

According to Wikipedia, a non-renewable resource is a resource which cannot be produced, grown, generated, or used on a scale which can sustain its consumption rate. These resources often exist in a fixed amount, or are consumed much faster than nature can create them. Fossil fuels, such as coal, petroleum, natural gas, and nuclear power (uranium) are examples. The nature of these resources has made them valuable as well as a subject of much debate and research. However, there is another non-renewable resource that is more valuable than any other. It is, of course, time. Here’s what the Apostle Paul had to say:

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15-17 NASB).

So, how do you keep from wasting your time? What do you do to “redeem the time”? There are some who would simply say multitasking is the answer. However, doing several things at once is a trick we play on ourselves, thinking we're getting more done. In reality, our productivity goes down by as much as 40%. We don't actually multitask. We switch-task, rapidly shifting from one thing to another, interrupting ourselves unproductively, and losing time in the process. You might think you're different, that you've done it so much you've become good at it. But you'd be wrong. Research shows that heavy multitaskers are less competent at doing several things at once than light multitaskers. In other words, in contrast to almost everything else in your life, the more you multitask, the worse you are at it. Practice, in this case, works against you. So, again the question remains: How do you redeem the time? Let me make some suggestions.

 First, unload everything that is holding you back. These are the unnecessary and unproductive things in your life like worrying about things you cannot control or chasing the things that will never produce peace or joy.

 Second, make a commitment to invest yourself in your family. This is the essence of real love. Even when we have difficult members of our family remember love is a decision and not a feeling.

 Third, concentrate your time and energy on your relationship with God. Most of us spend the majority of our day “working.” That may mean you are involved with your career whether inside or outside the home, or it could mean that you have other tasks that must be accomplished like chores around the house. Don’t allow the day to slip by without using a portion of it to deepen your relationship with God. I read someone who suggested that we ought to “tithe our day. That’s the principle at work here.

Redeeming the time is not just working harder, but it is giving God our schedule and operating in faith each moment. Your time is non-renewable. Spend it wisely!