6 Christian Places to Visit in Rome You Should Know About
Rome is famous for its standard tourist sites: The Trevi Fountain, the Forum, Piazza Navona, the Colosseum, the Pantheon—and many other historic...
I hate wasting time. Time is more valuable than money, because once spent it’s gone forever. Time clicks by at 1440 minutes each day. Rich or poor, we all get the same amount.
When Paul wrote to the Colossians and Ephesians about “making the most of your time” (Eph. 5:16; Col. 4:5), he probably didn’t have in mind multitasking or maximizing your commute.
Or maybe he did?
(Photo by Photodune)
The phrase “making the most of your time” literally means “redeeming the time.” It refers to buying something out completely—you leave nothing on the shelves. Paul’s term for “time” refers to a moment of time—not to a lifetime.
In other words, each moment and season of time is our opportunity and responsibility. An effective use of time ultimately should show itself in knowing Christ and making Him known.
Because time is our most valuable resource—spent only once—I always try to make the most of it. If I can get something done while walking across the room, I will.
Here are 8 ways I am redeeming the time that you can too.
To this I would add “and not the sleep it wants.” I have figured out how much sleep I need, and that’s all I give myself. I get up really early, and it’s the most productive part of my day. In fact 95% of my blog’s content gets written before the sun comes up. You may be a night owl. That’s great. Redeeming the time begins by knowing the sleep you need.
When I do make time for the treadmill, I listen to audiobooks on my iPhone (at 2x speed). Listening also keeps my mind distracted from the fact that I can’t breathe. Audible makes it easy to listen to audiobooks. (Need a suggestion? Check out my audiobook on Audible.)
I watch the BBC “One-minute” news on the computer while I’m getting dressed in the morning. It shows in 60 seconds the major world events. That’s all the news I need. The rest is often just depressing.
(Photo: by Matteo Ianeselli, Own work, CC-BY-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
My commute is one of the most productive parts of the day. Because I’m stuck in my car about one-and-a-half hours a day, I use that time effectively. Here are a few ways.
This is a great principle I picked up from Michael Hyatt. Here’s how I apply it. I ask:
One of the reasons I can stay productive is I organize all my “to-dos” in a task management program called Nozbe.
(Photo: by Isabelle Grosjean ZA. Self-published work by ZA, GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
7. Always have a book with you.
I always have an e-book I’m reading on my iPad mini so that if I’m standing in line, waiting in a doctor’s office, or eating lunch alone, I’m never staring at the ceiling or stuck reading some magazine. I read a lot of books this way. Right now, I’m reading Augustine’s Confessions (which is currently free!).
8. Remember that rest is not a waste of time.
As my wife often asks me, “When have you scheduled time to rest?” Ouch. Enough said.
These are some of the ways I am redeeming the time, because after all, we are stewards of our time—our most precious commodity.
Tell me what you think: What about you? What are some helpful ways you are redeeming the time? To leave a comment, just click here.
Rome is famous for its standard tourist sites: The Trevi Fountain, the Forum, Piazza Navona, the Colosseum, the Pantheon—and many other historic...
How fitting that the first mention of the Mount of Olives in the Bible represents the irony that would occur on its slopes throughout the centuries.
...
The ancient world had a bully system that worked in straightforward terms. A nation would conquer a region and demand tribute (annual payment of...