Redeem the Time
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)
In Ephesians 5:16, Paul gives us a powerful exhortation: Redeem your God-given opportunities. The verse says, “Make the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” In my former career as a corporate trainer, one of the courses I taught is time management. Typical time management materials cover topics like prioritization, goal-setting, delegation, planning, and meeting deadlines. But that’s not really (or at least not primarily) what Paul is talking about here, and it’s not what we’re going to focus on in this post. Paul was not acting as a personal productivity coach. His concern was far more eternal and profound.
To grasp what Paul is really saying, we need to look at the Greek word he uses for “time.” There are several Greek words for time, but the two most relevant here are chronos and kairos. Chronos refers to the quantity of time: minutes, hours, and days. It’s where we get the word “chronological.” This is how we normally think about time: we’ve got 24 hours in a day and need to use them efficiently. But Paul doesn’t use chronos in this verse, he uses kairos.
Kairos refers to the quality of time: moments, opportunities, and seasons. You can hear it in phrases like “it’s the most wonderful time of the year,” or Mordecai’s words to Esther, “Perhaps you were made queen for such a time as this.” Kairos isn’t about seconds ticking away; it’s about God-ordained moments that matter. The NIV captures this well by translating the verse, “making the most of every opportunity.” Paul is urging us to move from a chronos-mindset to a kairos-mindset.
Another key word in this verse is “redeem.” The ESV says, “making the best use,” but the King James translation renders it more literally: “Redeeming the time.” The idea is that we’re to buy back, reclaim, or rescue these divine opportunities from being lost or wasted. Why? Because God is sovereign over every part of our lives. Nothing is random. Each day is filled with opportunities God has placed before us. Opportunities that we can either seize or squander.
For some of you, this may mean decluttering your calendar. You're so over-scheduled that you wouldn’t notice a God-given opportunity if a voice from heaven called out your name. This verse may actually be calling you to slow down, to look carefully at your life (as verse 15 tells us to do) and to see what God is already doing around you. He may not be asking you to take on another ministry or add one more thing to your week. He may simply be asking you to pay attention.
For others, redeeming the time might mean you need to add something to your schedule. While there's a proper place for rest and entertainment, binge-watching Netflix every night is not wise, it’s not helping you redeem your opportunities. Many of us also need to consider our screen time. How many God-given moments have we missed because we were staring at our phones? Whether you lean toward over-busyness or time-wasting, this verse has something to say each one of us.
Just one chapter later, Paul gives us this warning: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:12-13). Notice, in 6:13 Paul calls us to be prepared to stand firm in the evil day, and in 5:16 he tells us to redeem the time for the days are evil. Satan wants us to waste our opportunities and let evil prevail, and Christ calls us to redeem our opportunities to advance the kingdom’s triumph over evil!
Ultimately, I believe Paul’s primary focus here is evangelism, and I say this for two reasons. First, the immediate context in Ephesians 5 is about shining the light of Christ in a dark world. Second, Colossians 4:5–6 gives us a nearly identical exhortation: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt…” That passage makes clear that our use of time is directly tied to our witness. The days are evil, and we are called to redeem these evil days by bringing the light of Christ into the darkness.
I’m reminded of Tolkien, and this conversation from The Fellowship of the Ring:
“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
So I challenge you: take a careful look at your life. Who has God placed around you that needs to hear about the hope we have in Jesus? Think of your family, your friends, your neighbors, and your coworkers. Don’t let those moments slip away. And don’t overlook the strangers God puts in your path either. One of the deepest gospel conversations I’ve ever had was with another dad I met at a playground who happened to be an atheist. That moment could have been ignored, but by God’s grace, it was redeemed.
Ephesians 5:16 is calling us to see every moment not just as the movement of a clock or the sands of time, but as an opportunity for gospel living. Church, there’s no time to kill, but we have all the time in the world to redeem!
“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.” (Colossians 4:5)
Timely! Thank Mitchell!