Redeem the Time

Opportunity to Work

(Ephesians 5:16)

“Can’t we put it off for now? Let’s just do it next year. Won’t things be a bit easier then?” But will that really be the case? Paul says in the letter of Ephesian Church: “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” There is no guarantee that you will be able to work tomorrow as you do today—especially in these evil days ruled by covetousness and falsehood.

1. Something That Must Be Redeemed
Christians have a duty given by God. That duty is to fulfill the inheritance entrusted to each person. God closely observes our daily lives, deeply concerned with how we treat this duty. Some people make their lives blessed before God by faithfully completing the duty entrusted to them, without missing the opportunity, even if it comes only once in a lifetime. Such a person, whether they realize it or not, has spent decades preparing and waiting for that very moment.

2. It May Be a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity
We must not regard the duty entrusted to us in the church as merely one of many random events that occur over time. Even if we are unaware, the duty we’ve been given may hold great significance in God’s picture. No matter how short the period of duty may be, if someone devotes themselves with faithfulness and obedience, they have seized the opportunity God granted them within His eternal plan. Just as one would redeem a life by paying a price, they have redeemed an opportunity that could have been lost.

3. A Work to Be Offered to the Lord
Those whose daily lives are closely tied to the work of the church must be more mindful than others of the possibility that their everyday routines may be directly connected to God’s plan. Our lives are not something we shape according to our own will; rather, we walk the holy path, bearing the burden of the Lord’s work. If our hearts are sincere toward the Lord, we will walk that path with utmost commitment. Let us be united with the church in love and faithfulness and offer our lives as a masterpiece to the Lord.

Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim