One more hour of sleep

This weekend is Daylight Savings Time which means we get an extra hour of sleep! I love this weekend because it feels good to have more time. 

Even though we’re not getting an extra hour in our day, we are getting more time to rest, which makes a difference. Everyone is happy, the holiday season is here, and the church is excellent. 

Getting more time is fantastic, and we all want more of it. The older we get, the more we realize that time is an excellent commodity because it goes by quickly.

Have you noticed?

A year flies by, then you blink, and five years have passed. It’s wild how fast things move, but this also speaks of a biblical truth. 

One more hour of sleep is excellent, but it doesn’t give us more time. Nothing can. But, through Jesus, we can redeem the time and have years restored by Him.

So, while we reach for one more hour of sleep this weekend, I propose we reach for Jesus to maximize what we have and receive what He’s giving!

“5. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

Colossians 4:5-6

Notice that redeeming the time has to do with impacting others. This means Jesus is reaching out to save people daily, and the way we keep time is by reaching out to these people, too!

This is huge because when we live for Jesus and through His spirit, we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves. It’s giving us purpose that directs our steps to redeem the time.

It’s also directing our speech and how we should use our words. This is a daily battle, but God wants to use our terms and have life in them. When our speech has grace and is full of salt, Jesus comes through us and moves on people. This is our chance to be used by God. This is our chance to have a purpose that reaches beyond ourselves. 

God’s plan and His will are how we redeem the time we have. Furthermore, when I’m yielding my life to Jesus, He restores the messed up and missed years.

“The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you.”

Joel 2:25

Only Jesus can restore the years and give us back what we lost. 

I love this because we all have lost something, missed something, and given away something that has impacted us significantly. Yet, God moves in our lives in ways that restore these things and make it better than what it was or would have been.

What can Jesus restore for you? Who is Jesus reaching for through you to redeem the time?

This weekend, while we get one more hour of sleep, let’s also think of what GOD wants to do through us.

He’s ready, He’s reaching, and He’s revealing amazing things. It’s our job to receive it and be a part of it.

So, here’s two thoughts to move forward.

First, reach for others.

Nothing great in our lives happens alone. We’re made to be in the community, and we’re made to make a difference through Jesus.

His mission is our mission. His plan is our plan. His heart is our heart. His focus is our focus. His passion is our passion. His church is our church. 

This is how we should live; when we do, we’ll redeem the time as we reach others. 

Our most significant growth is when we leave our laces and reach for others with Jesus. We can’t afford to shrink into selfish living and closed-off relationships. We must move ahead with grace and salt in our speech while we love and connect with others.

This is our time and our moment to redeem the time and reach for others.

Second, give your years to God.

What do I mean?

Everyone has moments that negatively impact us. Sometimes, we feel like we’ve lost things forever and that years are gone.

However, Jesus can restore the years and give back what was taken. It may not be the same as those around you before, but it can be better.

This is because Jesus helps us. Jesus mends our broken hearts and puts us back together. He does what we can’t do, and when things are devastating, hurtful, and gone, He does the impossible and makes all things new. 

We do this by inviting Jesus in our pain and hurt. We ask Him to heal us and take inventory of anything we can do. This would be forgiving others, making it right with others, and apologizing for things we’ve done wrong. 

Then, He puts us back together and gives us new beginnings and a new way of living. 

Oh yes, He restores the years and, in the process, restores our lives.

I encourage you to move forward and let Jesus redeem the time and restore the years.

In Him, the best is yet to come,

PD

City Church Bloomington Indiana