Are You Wasting the Most Valuable Thing You Have?

Meta Description: Time is our most valuable resource — and we're accountable for every moment. Discover what God's Word says about being a faithful steward of your time. URL Slug: stewardship-of-time-redeeming-the-clock Featured Image: A close-up of an open Bible resting beside an analog clock or pocket watch, warm natural lighting, suggesting reflection and intentionality.

This past Sunday, I asked our congregation a question that I want to ask you now: Does He control my calendar and my clock?

It's a simple question, but it cuts straight to the heart of how we live.

The Weight of What We're Dealing With

We've been working through a series on spiritual disciplines — Bible study, worship, prayer, evangelism, and service. This week, I want to turn our attention to stewardship. Not just stewardship of our finances (we'll get there), but stewardship of our time.

Here's something I've been sitting with: when you and I walk away from God's Word and forget what we heard by Wednesday, we haven't just forgotten a preacher's words. We've been neglectful of the eternal Word of God. That's the gravity of what we're dealing with every Sunday.

The Apostle Paul puts it plainly in Romans 13:11–14:

"And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."

These are not my words. These are God's instructions to us — and they carry the weight of eternity.

We Understand More Than We Admit

Paul says, "knowing the time." Here's what I want you to see: you and I already understand time. We know it began in Genesis 1:1. We know it's appointed unto man once to die. We've stood at gravesites. We've lost people we love. We know that life is short.

James 4:14 says it clearly: "Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

We're not ignorant. We understand birth, life, death, and judgment. The problem isn't that we don't know these truths — the problem is that we still act like we have unlimited time. We procrastinate. We delay. We scroll. We drift.

Proverbs 27:1 says, "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth."

The issue isn't understanding. The issue is application.

Redeeming the Time — What That Actually Looks Like

Ephesians 5:15–17 gives us both the command and the reason:

"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is."

To "redeem the time" means to buy it back — to use it intentionally for what matters most. And the reason? The days are evil. There's urgency here.

In John 9:4, Jesus says, "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work." Many manuscripts actually read "we must work" — making it clear this is an instruction for all of us, not just Jesus alone.

You and I are accountable for the time God has given us. Whether our years are few or many, we will each stand before God and give an account for how we used what we were given.

Practical Ways to Honor God with Your Time

As I prepared this message, I thought about how this actually plays out in daily life. Let me offer a few practical handles:

• Establish a daily schedule that honors Christ. Start each day asking: how will I honor Him with today?
• Give God your first fruits of time. Your best hours, not just your leftover moments.
• Prioritize in larger blocks. God, family, work, ministry — carve out real time for what matters most.
• Practice the one-thing principle. If there's one important thing that must be done, do it first. Don't let it hang over your day.
• Set limits on time wasters. Entertainment, scrolling, hobbies — these aren't inherently wrong, but they need boundaries.
• Review your day. At the end of each day, ask: Lord, where did I miss it? By His grace, make adjustments tomorrow.
• Establish a Sabbath. A real day of rest and worship that honors God.

And here's the verse I want you to pray over your calendar: Proverbs 16:3 — "Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established." Use it as a morning prayer. Lord, I commit my works to You today. Establish my thoughts and my steps.

A Wasted Life Is Eternally Wasted

In Luke 16, Jesus tells the story of a rich man who lived sumptuously every day — not a worry in the world. But when he died, he found himself in torment. And his first thought? His five brothers who were still wasting their time.

That image stays with me. A man in eternity, desperate for someone to warn the people he loved — because he knew what it meant to have wasted a lifetime.

As I've continued thinking about this throughout the week, I keep coming back to one question: Do I belong to Him? Because if the answer is yes, then my calendar is His. My time is His. And I will live differently because of it.

Don't wait until the end to mourn the time you didn't use well. The Word has come to us. The instruction is clear. The time to respond is now.

I'd love for you to watch the full message and share it with someone who needs this reminder this week. And join us next Sunday as we continue this conversation on stewardship — next time, we'll be talking about our finances.

Social Media Excerpt (Facebook/Instagram): We all say we don't have enough time — but the real question is: are we using the time we do have for what matters most? This week's message from Romans 13 and Ephesians 5 is a convicting and practical look at what it means to be a faithful steward of your time. Read the full post and share it with someone who needs this reminder today.

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