FOLLOW THE LEADER“Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility, not as
men who do not know the meaning and purpose of life
but as those who do. Make the best use of your time, despite
all the difficulties of these days.” (Phillips).There is one theme that rings out loud and clear in all of these various
translations of Paul’s words: Use your time wisely! The word Paul used here
for “redeeming the time,” or “make the most of every opportunity,”
is another word straight out of the business world of his day. It was the
verb exagorazo. The root of this verb is the noun, agora, which means
“marketplace.” This was a commercial term. It was a very common business
phrase that everyone in Paul’s day fully understood. When someone was
going to the marketplace to shop, they went to the agora. I have personally
been to the ruins of the ancient agora in Ephesus, Corinth, and Greece.
This was the “business district” where all of the shops and kiosks were set
up by the merchants and sellers of goods. The ones who were successful
were the ones who “...redeemed the time,” who “...made the most of
every opportunity.”
This principle of the economy of time is a concept that every successful
businessman clearly understands. He knows that he will not stay in
business very long unless he learns to “redeem the time.” He well knows
that, if he does not “buy up every opportunity”, his competitors will! He
must be very time-conscious in running his business if he is going to
be viable and profitable. Successful businessmen are at their companies
early – and often stay late. While some of their employees just “punch
the clock” and “put in their time” – the owner always buys up every
opportunity to make a sale. He puts forth the extra effort and extra time that
it takes to get the job done. The owner wants to seize every opportunity
to do business. He does not want to lose a single customer or sale. He
knows if he is going to stay in business and grow, he must stay ahead of
the competition and the best way to do that is to use time more wisely
than others. The businessman who wastes time destroys his business!
Likewise, the Christian leader who wastes time kills his ministry!
No businessman ever becomes successful by lounging around in bed all
morning while his competitors are “up early” with the sign on their door
beckoning: “Open For Business!” He does not become profitable unless he