See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Ephesians 5:15-16 NKJV

I’ve read this verse in a couple different versions and honestly, I was unsure of the true meaning. I understand what it means to pay attention to how we walk or to walk circumspectly. I get that we should use wisdom and not be foolish. But when it comes to redeeming time, can we really buy back time? Some versions say to make the most of your time, but then in a footnote they say to buy back time. I wanted a deeper understanding.

The first thing we need to do is put it in proper context. This is chapter 5 of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. He wrote this letter while imprisoned. As with many of Paul’s letter to churches written while he was imprisoned, he is writing to warn them against new religious philosophies that contradict biblical teaching. Paul writes these letters to encourage them to live as the Bible teaches and not be distracted by false teachings.

In chapter 5, Paul begins by telling us to imitate Christ (Ephesians 5:1). He says in vv. 3-5 to avoid things like greed, sexual immorality, crude joking, foolish talking and idolatry. He goes on to explain the difference between light and darkness. He warns us to have nothing to do with the fruitless works of darkness, but to expose them in vv. 6-13.

Then he encourages consistency in our Christian lives. This is not always easy to do, we sometimes let our anger get the best of us. We sometimes let our jealousy get the best of us. And often times our fear grows larger than our faith. To avoid these things, we must walk wisely. We must walk with the Lord.

We must redeem our time or make the most of our time, but can we buy back time? Have you ever wished you could turn back time. There are times I long to spend just another few days with loved ones I have lost. There are times, I wish I could go back to when my nieces were small children. I look at my new baby granddaughter and know she will grow up way faster than I want her to. I try to cherish the time I have with her now.

We can’t turn back time, but when we repent of our sins and God forgives us, He removes them from us. We are justified, which I have heard explained as “just as if I’d never sinned.” Once we accept Christ as our Savior, we can make the most of our time here on earth. We do this by living life as God calls us to.

Paul goes on to say we should avoid drunkenness but be filled with the Spirit. There are other Scripture passages that condemn drunkenness, but here Paul tells us that we should instead be filled by the Spirit. We like to be in control of ourselves, but truth be told, we are always controlled by something or someone. We should never allow alcohol or drugs to be in control. We should, however, be filled with the Holy Spirit and submit ourselves to Christ. We should give Him complete control over our lives. We do this by studying His Holy Word and understanding how to imitate Him and fulfill His purpose for our life.

Our time on earth is short, the length of time we spend here is not guaranteed. We have no idea just how long we will be here. So, shouldn’t we make the most of that time. We live in an evil world, but we can overcome this if we walk in the Spirit and are filled by God’s Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things so that in Me, you will have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price to redeem us from the bondage of sin. Make the most of the time He has given you here on earth.

Have a great day!