Ephesians 5:16 – Redeeming the time

Eph 5:16  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

This verse could be flipped. Because the days are evil, redeeming the time.

It consists of two sections. One is the action that Paul is invoking the reader to do. The second is the reason for the action.

Let’s examine each of them.

The first is the action: redeeming the time. It creates an image of time as a commodotiy. Much as truth is shown as a commodoty in Pro 23:23 where it can be bought and sold.

What is to be bought? Time. What is the price? That is the great question this verse leaves unanswered.

 Another image comes to mind when we consider the word ‘redeem’. It indicates to ‘buy up’ or ‘ransom’. In the meaning of the word we then can see that not only is there a price involved but there is a hostage situation. The hostage is ‘time’. We are the negotiators. What are the demands of the hostage-taker? This is the same as the question previously: what is the price? There is one more question in this scenario that we can ask: who is the hostage-taker?

Before we can answer these questions, we must look at the reason for the action: because the days are evil.

This phrase is interesting in that there are multiple ways it could be understood, yet only one which would make sense. Let’s examine two key words in the phrase: days & evil.

Days can mean the space between dawn and dusk, the whole 24 hours, sections of multiple days, or an unspecified amount of time.

Evil can mean that which is evil, but also in a more morally neutral sense of ‘hurtful’.

In this passage, the reading of evil is better understood as ‘hurtful’ or ‘calamitous’. The reasoning is that what is being described as ‘evil’ is ‘the days’, best understood in the context of an unspecified period of time. The day is not morally evil. What it can be is full of troubles. As such, perhaps we could re-phrase the reason for redeeming the time as this: Because the days are full of calamity.

Why would this require us to redeem time? Let us go back to the start of the chapter. Paul is calling the reader to be a follower of God. One of the fastest ways we can cease to be a follower is by distraction. Pyschologically, we are designed to notice the negative things more than the positive. A negative outcome could result in death. Positive outcomes are great, but they won’t kill us, therefore we are far more sensitive to negative emotions, events, and potential.

When Paul says, the days are full of calamity, he is saying, there are distractions everywhere. Powerful distractions. The world is full of them. The planet is heating up too much, it’s cooling down too much. We’re cutting down too many trees. We may not have enough food to eat. Our food is poisoned. We may find ourselves uncomfortable. The spouse needs our time and attention. The children need to be fed. Even in the unparalleled wealth and luxury of the first world, we are constantly being told of all the things we need to ‘fix’. These calamities, real and imagined, are all competing for our time. In fact, we naturally give them time.

We are not saying we should not give them time, but it’s the sad truth of life that the most important things are not always/often the most urgent. We get caught up in the urgency of things and can quickly lose sight of the importance of things. Again, Paul is not saying to not give time to the calamities of the day, but these should come later down the list – our love and relationship with God should supersede them. Is it perhaps because we can pray anywhere, anytime, that we so often fail to do so? So quickly do other important (hopefully) things with more urgency get put in front of what is most important.

Your relationship with God ought to be more important than anything else. The greatest commandment of all is to LOVE Jehovah your God with ALL your heart, soul, and strength. If that is the greatest commandment, then it is the most important thing. How much time do you spend in loving God?  If you struggle to put time aside to spend with God and for God, there’s a pretty good chance you need to redeem some time.

Who are the hostage takers? Whatever ‘calamity’ or event is taking up time that you are needing for more important activities. They are both the purchasers and sellers of time.

Often we sell our time unwittingly. We are following the desires of our flesh with no thought for the spirit. In the previous verse, Paul directs us to walk as wise, not fools. What distinguishes the fool? A lack of understanding. They do as they feel in the moment. They fail to consider the long-term outcomes. They satisfy their whims. They are childish in that a child does not understand the long-term outcome of eating nothing but sweets and lollies for dinner. The wise is able to control their immediate whims for the long-term good of their being. Being wise indicates finesse. It’s not say all things are unlawful – for all things are lawful, but not all things are expedient. What things? That’s wisdom. It will change for people depending on their time, place, and who they are as an individual.

As one who wishes to be wise, we must revise where we are investing our time on a regular basis to ensure that we are prioritizing those things that are MOST important. When we identify a lack of investment in the things that are most important, that’s when we have to go through our time expenditure and find the places holding our time that we can redeem.

There is a cost involved in this process. That’s why the word ‘redeem’ is used. To get time back requires discipline. It requires a denial of short-term desires, of putting ones flesh under control of the spirit. It requires missing out on those things that you are removing your time from. There very well could be important things that you need to buy back some time from because there are more important things.

If you wish to be wise, then you will need to learn to redeem the time. You will need to learn to assess what things are most important, where your time is currently being spent, and then be willing to pay the price of acquiring ‘free’ time to then put it into those things that are most important – most beneficial.