{"id":5919,"date":"2019-10-31T14:11:49","date_gmt":"2019-10-31T19:11:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/?p=5919"},"modified":"2019-11-07T14:44:36","modified_gmt":"2019-11-07T20:44:36","slug":"redeeming-the-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2019\/10\/31\/redeeming-the-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Redeeming the Time"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Our journey in life as a believer in Jesus Christ often ebbs and flows or follows a path similar to a rollercoaster. We experience times of enthusiasm and passion in serving the Lord as if we are on the top of the coaster. We also go through times where life is overwhelming, we lack motivation, and we become complacent or lazy in our service to the Lord. I'm afraid the passion we should have for sharing the gospel message in our day to day life is not always at the forefront of our minds.<\/p>\n

Just a few weeks ago, I was flying home from a work-related trip. It was late on a Sunday night. I was exhausted from the trip. I put my earbuds in and leaned my head back, closed my eyes, and had no desire to talk to anyone. Later, the flight attendant asked for my drink and snack order,\u00a0 so I pulled my earbuds out.\u00a0 Immediately, the lady sitting next to me began to engage me in conversation. The whole time in my head, I was trying to figure out how to exit the conversation and go back to rest mode. She began to open up about her overwhelming and stressful life to me, a stranger. I will be honest, I did not initially feel like talking to this woman, but the Lord quickly corrected me. It was as if He was saying, \"This flight isn't about your comfort and desire for rest. See this broken one? Please be Jesus to her.\"\u00a0 What an opportunity I would have missed to encourage her and share the hope of Jesus if I had not sacrificed my selfish desires that day.<\/p>\n

Many of us have become robots in our daily lives. We have filled our schedules in such a way that we robotically move throughout our day, checking off one commitment after the other. We often do not leave room in our lives to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit when it concerns our Christian witness to others. I\u2019m challenged by the words of Paul in Colossians 4:2-6 (NKJV)<\/p>\n

\u201cContinue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Paul is in prison when these words are written. Let\u2019s walk through the guidance he gives us in this passage. First, it is of great importance that we approach our Christian witness with prayer. I love that Paul not only encourages believers to pray and be consistent with giving thanks to God, but he also asks for prayer himself. Paul, who is in prison, still desires for open doors to speak of Christ. He does not let his chains stop his desire for opportunities to share Christ with others. Paul's example should be a gut check for us. If Paul, while he was in prison, still had the heart to share the gospel, perhaps we should check our priorities as it concerns our commitment to seeking ways to share Jesus with others. May we vow to be more intentional about praying for opportunities to share Christ with others.<\/p>\n

After embracing a life of prayer concerning our witness, we must then \"walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time,\" as it states in the above passage. Do you wake up every morning with a desire to reach out to those you don't know? Do you daily ask for and seek out moments to connect with others so that you can share the hope of Jesus? As we pray for open doors to witness to others, we are wise to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Time is of the essence. We, as Christians, should not move through our lives robotically. We must not neglect the ownership we should take in the call of witnessing to the world and making disciples.<\/p>\n

Our lives, our speech, our conduct: they must all reflect the image of Jesus. While we actively pursue moments to witness Jesus, we also share His Light through the way we live our very lives. We never know the impact we may be having on the lost just by the way we live our lives. Perhaps on the plane that day, despite my heart being closed off initially, the woman next to me saw Light, and the Lord used that Light to open a door I wasn't even seeking.<\/p>\n

Jesus is the One who saves. The Holy Spirit does the transforming work in peoples lives. We, as believers in Jesus, are privileged to get to take part in the story of salvation on the earth. We get to be vessels that the Lord uses to help spread the gospel in all the land. May we evaluate our own lives today. Are we intentional with the way we live our lives every day, allowing the witness of Jesus to flow out of us? Do we make time to be inconvenienced in our schedule when opportunities arise to share Jesus with others?<\/p>\n

May we commit today to a life of prayer concerning our witness for Christ. May we wake up daily with a zeal to share His love with others. May this life of witness flow out of a heart of love for the Father instead of duty. May we embrace every opportunity that comes our way to spread the gospel message. May we redeem the time and be successful in our witness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":5920,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,37],"tags":[940,1057,1206,1224,1205,925],"class_list":{"0":"post-5919","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-discipleship-ministries","8":"category-womens-ministries","9":"tag-940","10":"tag-iphc-womens-ministries","11":"tag-quarter-4","12":"tag-redeeming-the-time","13":"tag-successful-in-witness","14":"tag-whitney-davis","15":"entry"},"title_es":"Redimiendo el tiempo","content_es":"

Nuestro viaje en la vida como creyentes en Jesucristo a menudo disminuye y fluye o sigue un camino similar a una monta\u00f1a rusa. Experimentamos momentos de entusiasmo y pasi\u00f3n al servir al Se\u00f1or como si estuvi\u00e9ramos en la cima de la monta\u00f1a rusa. Tambi\u00e9n pasamos por momentos en que la vida es abrumadora, nos falta motivaci\u00f3n y nos volvemos complacientes o perezosos en nuestro servicio al Se\u00f1or. Me temo que la pasi\u00f3n que deber\u00edamos tener por compartir el mensaje del evangelio en nuestra vida diaria no siempre est\u00e1 en la vanguardia de nuestras mentes. <\/p>

Hace solo unas semanas, volaba a casa desde un viaje relacionado con el trabajo. Era tarde un domingo por la noche. Estaba exhausto del viaje. Me puse los auriculares y ech\u00e9 la cabeza hacia atr\u00e1s, cerr\u00e9 los ojos y no ten\u00eda ganas de hablar con nadie. M\u00e1s tarde, la azafata pidi\u00f3 mi orden de bebidas y refrigerios, as\u00ed que saqu\u00e9 mis auriculares. Inmediatamente, la se\u00f1ora sentada a mi lado comenz\u00f3 a entablar conversaci\u00f3n conmigo. Todo el tiempo en mi cabeza, estaba tratando de descubrir c\u00f3mo salir de la conversaci\u00f3n y volver al modo de descanso. Ella comenz\u00f3 a hablar sobre su vida abrumadora y estresante para m\u00ed, una extra\u00f1a. Ser\u00e9 honesto, inicialmente no ten\u00eda ganas de hablar con esta mujer, pero el Se\u00f1or me corrigi\u00f3 r\u00e1pidamente. Era como si estuviera diciendo: "Este vuelo no se trata de tu comodidad y deseo de descansar. \u00bfVes este roto? Por favor, s\u00e9 Jes\u00fas para ella". Qu\u00e9 oportunidad hubiera perdido para alentarla y compartir la esperanza de Jes\u00fas si no hubiera sacrificado mis deseos ego\u00edstas ese d\u00eda. <\/p>

Muchos de nosotros nos hemos convertido en robots en nuestra vida cotidiana. Hemos llenado nuestros horarios de tal manera que nos movemos rob\u00f3ticamente a lo largo de nuestro d\u00eda, marcando un compromiso tras otro. A menudo no dejamos espacio en nuestras vidas para seguir la direcci\u00f3n del Esp\u00edritu Santo cuando se trata de nuestro testimonio cristiano a los dem\u00e1s. Me desaf\u00edan las palabras de Pablo en Colosenses 4: 2-6 (NKJV) <\/p>

\u201cContinua fervientemente en oraci\u00f3n, vigilando con acci\u00f3n de gracias; Mientras tanto, orando tambi\u00e9n por nosotros, para que Dios nos abra una puerta para la palabra, para hablar el misterio de Cristo, por el cual tambi\u00e9n estoy encadenado, para que pueda manifestarlo, como debo hablar. Camina en sabidur\u00eda hacia los que est\u00e1n afuera, redimiendo el tiempo. Permita que su discurso sea siempre con gracia, sazonado con sal, para que sepa c\u00f3mo debe responder a cada uno ".<\/em> <\/p>

Paul est\u00e1 en prisi\u00f3n cuando estas palabras son,. Veamos la gu\u00eda que nos da en este pasaje. Primero, es de gran importancia que nos acerquemos a nuestro testimonio cristiano con oraci\u00f3n. Me encanta que Pablo no solo aliente a los creyentes a orar y ser coherentes con dar gracias a Dios, sino que tambi\u00e9n pide la oraci\u00f3n. Pablo, que est\u00e1 en prisi\u00f3n, todav\u00eda desea puertas abiertas para hablar de Cristo. No deja que sus cadenas detengan su deseo de oportunidades para compartir a Cristo con otros. El ejemplo de Paul deber\u00eda ser una prueba para nosotros. Si Pablo, mientras estaba en prisi\u00f3n, todav\u00eda ten\u00eda el coraz\u00f3n para compartir el evangelio, tal vez deber\u00edamos verificar nuestras prioridades en lo que respecta a nuestro compromiso de buscar formas de compartir a Jes\u00fas con los dem\u00e1s. Que podamos jurar ser m\u00e1s intencionales acerca de orar por oportunidades para compartir a Cristo con otros. <\/p>

Despu\u00e9s de abrazar una vida de oraci\u00f3n con respecto a nuestro testimonio, debemos "caminar con sabidur\u00eda hacia los que est\u00e1n afuera, redimiendo el tiempo", como se indica en el pasaje anterior. \u00bfTe levantas todas las ma\u00f1anas con el deseo de comunicarte con aquellos que no conoces? \u00bfPides y buscas diariamente momentos para conectarte con otros y compartir la esperanza de Jes\u00fas? Mientras oramos por puertas abiertas para testificar a otros, somos sabios de seguir la direcci\u00f3n del Esp\u00edritu Santo. El tiempo es la esencia. Nosotros, como cristianos, no debemos movernos rob\u00f3ticamente a trav\u00e9s de nuestras vidas. No debemos descuidar la propiedad que debemos tomar en el llamado de testificar al mundo y hacer disc\u00edpulos. <\/p>

Nuestras vidas, nuestro discurso, nuestra conducta: todos deben reflejar la imagen de Jes\u00fas. Mientras buscamos activamente momentos para presenciar a Jes\u00fas, tambi\u00e9n compartimos Su Luz a trav\u00e9s de la forma en que vivimos nuestras vidas. Nunca sabemos el impacto que podemos estar teniendo en los perdidos solo por la forma en que vivimos nuestras vidas. Tal vez en el avi\u00f3n ese d\u00eda, a pesar de que mi coraz\u00f3n se cerr\u00f3 inicialmente, la mujer a mi lado vio a Light, y el Se\u00f1or us\u00f3 esa Light para abrir una puerta que ni siquiera estaba buscando. <\/p>

Jes\u00fas es quien salva. El Esp\u00edritu Santo hace el trabajo transformador en la vida de las personas. Nosotros, como creyentes en Jes\u00fas, tenemos el privilegio de participar en la historia de la salvaci\u00f3n en la tierra. Llegamos a ser vasos que el Se\u00f1or usa para ayudar a difundir el evangelio en toda la tierra. Que podamos evaluar nuestras propias vidas hoy. \u00bfSomos intencionales con la forma en que vivimos nuestras vidas todos los d\u00edas, permitiendo que el testimonio de Jes\u00fas fluya fuera de nosotros? \u00bfHacemos tiempo para ser molestados en nuestro horario cuando surgen oportunidades para compartir a Jes\u00fas con otros? <\/p>

Que nos comprometamos hoy a una vida de oraci\u00f3n con respecto a nuestro testimonio de Cristo. Que nos despertemos a diario con celo por compartir su amor con los dem\u00e1s. Que esta vida de testimonio fluya de un coraz\u00f3n de amor por el Padre en lugar del deber. Que podamos aprovechar todas las oportunidades que se nos presenten para difundir el mensaje del evangelio. Que podamos redimir el tiempo y tener \u00e9xito en nuestro testimonio. <\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","author_name":"Whitney Davis","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/10\/WM-Q4.1-Article-Graphic-e1572548993356.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4T9u2-1xt","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5919"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5919\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5920"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}