Redeeming the time

REDEEMING THE TIME

“Understanding the secrets and principles of life is key to maximizing one’s life for meaningful and profitable existence”

—       Olakunle Paul Orimaye

Great men and women who have lived, I mean people who lived to impact lives and contribute to the development of humanity, and not just those who were materially great, understood some basic truths and principles of life, and they diligently gave themselves to it. At times, what separates the best from the rest is just a simple truth that was discovered.

Here we are in the beginning of the year. Firstly, it’s by God’s grace that we are alive, hale and hearty. However, it is not enough that we made it into the new year, you must take responsibility to ensure that you make the most of the year for purpose and destiny fulfillment. In view of this I want to share a truth that will equip you with what is required to maximize the year.

Life is time. And, time is life. Your existence upon the face of the earth is nothing but a passage in time. Every and any thing that ever passes through the physical universe is under the government of time because time regulates everything. One who will live to fulfill destiny must understand the significance of time. Your life in this world is just but a measure of time. Your life is measured in time, and the quantitative value of your life is also measured by time. For instance, one who is 80 years old means that he/she has spent 80 years living in this world.

However, we need to understand that it is now how long you live that matters but how much you actually live. It is not actually the number of years you spend that matters but how much you are able to make the most of those years. Long life may have a quantitative value but much life is what makes those years really meaningful. This is a new year made up of 366 days — such a handful of days. Whatever becomes of you is determined by whatever you do with those days. You may have expectations — of course every sane person should — but you know what? They may not be accomplished in your life unless you know what it takes to make the most of those 366 days.

We often blame our misfortune on external circumstances for instance you hear people saying things like, ‘the year was bad’; ‘had the year not been an unfortunate one, I would have achieved this and that’. These are very common phrases you hear people say whenever they are lamenting about their unpleasant situation when in, the real sense, they should rather sit themselves down, and seek to find out what made the year an unfavorable one? Am I denying the fact that there maybe unforeseen circumstances that may come our way during the course of the year? Of course No! I wouldn’t subscribe to that. But, then, they do not ultimately determine what becomes of you at the end of the year. Everything still boils down to the fact that you are the only variable in the equation of your situation. Whatever happens to you can be made an opportunity for you to progress. What I’m trying to say in essence is that your lot this year is dependent on how much you are able to take responsibility to make the 366 days available in it count.  And how do you do that?

Apostle Paul, one of the greatest men ever lived, by the inspiration of God admonished us in Eph. 5:15,16 that we should “see that that we walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time…”. Walking as fools is walking without getting anything worthwhile and meaningful done. It is walking without getting your plans fulfilled, your goals realized and your purpose accomplished. Where as, to walk as wise means to maximize your living for getting things achieved, plans fulfilled, purpose accomplished and goals realized. But then, to walk as wise, there’s something you must do to time. And what’s that? Redeem it. While others are merely passing through time, complaining about things that are not working out, flowing with the tides of the happenings in time, the wise take responsibility to redeem the time for maximum and impactful living.

I established earlier that time is life and life is time. So, to make the most of your time is to make the most of your life. More specifically, to maximize the time present in this year which of course is 366 days is to make the year a fulfilling one for yourself. The key to maximum the time then is to redeem it. Redeeming the time means buying the time, rescuing it from loss, making it valuable, converting it to value, etc. It is necessary for you to redeem the time because that’s the key to actually making the most of it. Time is the only common resources that everyone has. No one has more time than the other. We all have the same time. This year, for instance, is 366 days for everybody. But then, the difference between those who will, at the end of the year, be able to say truly they experienced success, and those who will at the end of the year resort to blaming situations and circumstances for their failure, is redeeming the time. Your ability to redeem the time is what determines how much you will make of it in respect to fulfilling your purpose and destiny. For you to be productive in life, you must be proactive in your approach to life. Being passive, waiting for things to happen, is the easiest way to failure. Only those who rise up, get out of their comfort zones, defy all the odds against them, and practically and proactively order, plan, organize and live their lives impact fully, are likely to eventually succeed. My question to you is this, are you ready to make your way prosperous, great, meaningful, and successful this year, then do something to the time. What’s that? Redeem it. How then do you redeem the time?

1. Understand the value of time

The first key to redeeming your time is to understand the value of the time. This, I have taken time to establish so far. You need to know that time is an invaluable resource given to us by God to fulfill our purpose in life. Time can be very common but it’s extremely valuable. If you know something to be valuable, you would want to take maximum advantage of it. When the purpose of a thing is not known, Myles Munroe says, abuse is inevitable. Time is given to enable us make our lives count. 366 days is so much time that I believe you wouldn’t want to waste. Time is the most universally valuable resources.

2. Make realistic plans and goals and write them on  paper

Having understood the value of time which is the foundation upon which every other steps will be built, take your time to clearly define what you want to accomplish this year. There’s no other better time to do that than now. The best way to pass through time, and more specifically this year, is to have nothing in mind to achieve. It’s funny when you see people who begin to complain of the year not being a good and favorable one for them, and you asked them what clearly defined goal do they really have in mind to achieve. They have nothing! The most effective way to waste your time is to have no plan for it. Time becomes meaningful and purposeful the moment a plan is attached to it. Have a clearly defined goal and purpose, write it down and section it into time slots.

3. Pursue the plans with perseverance, determination and resilience.

Writing down the plan is one thing, pursuing it is another thing. Don’t just write it down. Passionately and purposefully pursue it. Take responsibility for its fulfillment. This will cause you to set a very good time table, and to organize your life and activities properly. It will cause you to identify the things you are supposed to discipline yourself of, things you are supposed to leave, association you may need to detach from, places you may need to stop visiting, expenses you may need to cut off, and even some foods you may need to stop eating. A man who is in pursuit of a plan doesn’t live anyhow or carelessly. He/she will be very disciplined and coordinated. A lot of wastage will be averted if only you have a definite and clear plan, and you are pursuing it consistently. Do you want to redeem your time for striking accomplishment? pursue your plan.

4. Develop the right attitudes

In pursuing your goals, you will need to develop some attitudes. Your life travels in the direction of your attitudes. What you are, and where you are today is a direct function of your attitudes. A man cannot be separated from his attitudes. Redeeming your time requires that you consciously cultivate the right attitudes that are consistent with your plans and goals.

5. Check your life with God

You know what? This is actually the most important of all the steps of redeeming your time. Your life with God is very much paramount to how relevant and meaningful your life will be, and by that I’m not just saying being meaningful in the sense of prosperity or accomplishing great things. No! I’m talking of being eternally relevant. You are here in time for a purpose. I established that earlier. Your purpose was created by God but to be discovered by you. And your life with God is very much significant to the fulfillment of that purpose. A life lived without God is no better than a life not lived at all. A character in the scriptures, Enoch by name, lived 365 years, and it will surprise you that in the whole of 365 years, the only thing that was recognized by God about him was that he walked with God. I mean, the scriptures doesn’t make reference to the houses he built, the things he accomplished, positions held, possessions acquired, etc. All that was significant to God was his walk with him.

Listen to me my dear reader, your life matter to God to the degree to which you are walking with him. It doesn’t matter how much possessions you have and how much positions you attain, if you don’t have a good relationship with God, walking in all his will and ways, they are all but a waste. Your walk with God is what makes your life count in eternity. Great men in the kingdom are not great by how much earthly possessions they have but the degree to which they walk with God to bring to bear his purpose, will and kingdom upon the face of the earth. Have you been living your life before now without regards to God and his will? Are you still living in sin and sinfulness? Are you still living to please yourself only and not God? It’s high time you checked your life now and retrace your steps. Jesus, our Lord and savior says, "what shall it profit a man who gains the whole world and looses his own soul, what shall he give in exchange for his soul". The quality of your life with God is what determines the quality of your soul and consequently the relevance of your life with him in eternity. Life doesn’t end here on this planet. No! Life continues after death. But your state after now is determined by your life with God now. It’s good to be relevant with men on earth but it’s better to be relevant with God in heaven.

Redeeming your time to make it count, meaningful and purposeful is very important. Have you prayed and received a lot of promises for this year? That’s very good and okay. But you know what? This is where the action lies — redeeming your time to make the 366 days really count. The fundamental difference between those who succeed and those who fail is in the use of their time. How much are you willing to redeem your time this year for a successful and impactful living? Your answer to it is what determines what becomes of you. Your destiny in life is a function of the quality of your decisions. You can’t afford to live passively without taking responsibility for your life. It can be very costly. I present to you the way to make your life count - redeeming the time. By understanding the value of time, making relevant plans and setting goals, passionately pursuing the plans and goals, cultivating and developing the right attitudes, and finally having a quality walk with God, your life will no doubt be a wonder to yourself and to your generation. Thank you.

I AM ORIMAYE OLAKUNLE PAUL

I WRITE. I TEACH. I INSPIRE.