LOCKDOWN! REDEEM THE TIME

Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Our nation is on lockdown. That terminology used by the average American citizen cracks me up as one who has experienced the original sense of the word. Isolation, solitary confinement, quarantine—we all now have gotten a better feeling for what these words imply.

God created us for communion and fellowship with Himself and with others. In and through those relationships our greatest purpose is fulfilled. That purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We thrive in relationships that lend themselves to the fulfillment of our created purpose. As a verified introvert, and a convicted felon who has spent time in prison, this nationally instituted lockdown doesn’t seem to be having the same effects on me as it is on some of my friends and family members. I find myself focusing on the blessings and opportunities I do have rather than on those that may have been temporarily taken away from me—like being able to get in my car and go to Bible studies, church, or to places I would ordinarily go. I have been looking for other ways to reach out and connect with others and have loved seeing human resiliency through how people are staying connected through digital means. A major concern is for those elderly who may not have the same access to these means.

One of the blessings I believe we have been given is time to do things we ordinarily would not be able to do. The above Scripture has come into my thoughts many times since this pandemic has exploded in our country. How am I redeeming the time? What does that mean? When I was doing my “time” in prison, I was also aware of that question on a daily basis.

You’ve surely heard the statement, “He or she did the crime, now they must do the time.” But it wasn’t long after I was imprisoned that a seasoned group of inmates confronted me with this statement: “Karla, make sure you do your time, and don’t let your time do you.” Apparently, this, too, is a well-known statement. I’m not exactly sure what is meant by it coming from other inmates, but I know how it spoke to my own heart. My immediate response was one that had been flooding my heart from the moment I was led into County jail. Lord, how do You want me to redeem the time?

I could easily have looked at my situation from the viewpoint that time was being stolen from me. Years away from my family and friends was time I could never get back. With very miniscule opportunities for real fellowship and communion, prison is intended to cut off time spent with loved ones—to separate. While in prison, I also thought of the ultimate separation—hell—a lot, but maybe not for the reasons you may think. Relating my physical and temporal situation to my biblical worldview, I became insanely aware of the fact that hell was not just a four-letter word used repeatedly in Scripture. My understanding of its reality grew to a depth that became painful for me to think about as I looked at all those ‘neighbors’ the Lord had put in my path. In prison, I was surrounded by those who participated in every religion known to man. One day, you could be talking to a Buddhist, the next a Native American, and the next a Wiccan. The opportunities open to those who practiced these false religions were not lacking in any sense by the authorities. However, there was one “religion” that was strictly prohibited. Religious freedoms were squashed quickly and forcefully by censoriously restrictive policies when it came to true Christianity. Now, to the eyes of most officials, the fact that there were Bibles on just about every locker and daily, sometimes hourly, “Christian” services in the chapel would easily fool the spiritually blind. But for anyone with half a sense of spiritual discernment, the illegal tampering with the religious freedoms of true believers in our federal prison system is blatant. Oh, sooooo much could be said about this alone!

To redeem something means to buy it back or to regain possession of it. All time is a gift from God, whether it is time spent as we plan it or however God plans it. Psalm 139:16 says: Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. In the light of that fact, the question for every believer becomes: Are the decisions I make regarding how I spend my time impacting eternity?

There’s a clock ticking for each of us. What am I doing today, as I love God and love others sacrificially, will be used by Him for His great glory? I see Christians reaching out to each other and the lost in any way they can during this crisis. And God is using these efforts in a way nobody would ever have expected. This past week Pastor John MacArthur was saying that over 200,000 people all over the globe had tuned into the live feed of last week’s church service. And they are hearing how God is saving people in this time. Praise God! The American people, for the most part, may be unable to work, but God is on His throne, and He is at work in the hearts of people everywhere. He has gotten their attention, and they are listening.

We know that the end of time is certain—for each person, and for the whole world, as we know it. We know that the wrath of God has already been revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. We know that since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

This brings me to my next point. People are searching for answers right now. And whether they recognize their need for Christ or not, they need rescuing…they need salvation. God, alone, saves; but He does use His own as instruments of His salvation. We, as believers, have been given an opportunity that is unprecedented for most of us. When things are going good in peoples’ lives, they don’t start looking for answers. They float downstream, being carried along by the world system and all its false ideologies. Those who are now being forced through trying circumstances to turn toward those who are walking in faith, full of hope, usually turn from them as they suppress the truth in unrighteousness. While we ought never to be ashamed of the Gospel knowing it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, we sometimes walk in fearful intimidation instead of boldly proclaiming the only truth that saves. We know the truth of the gospel, firsthand, but we forget how hard our own hearts once were and how God used others to save us. We get weary and tired. Now is the time to get energized by the Spirit of God. Now is the time to have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. Sound the trumpet! Speak the truth!

Believer, how are you using the time God is giving you during this Covid-19 pandemic? Are you ready and able to give an answer or a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you with gentleness and reverence as Peter says? If not, why? You say, “I don’t know enough.” Then, right now, start studying! Begin being diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. Today! Do it now! Pray that the Lord will put people in your path who need to hear the gospel of hope. If you’ve been saved, you do know the gospel. Start there. When they ask questions you don’t know, tell them you don’t know, but that you will find out. Then, dig into the Scriptures. Ask questions of people who do know.

In Matthew 9, Jesus is going through the cities teaching, proclaiming the gospel, and healing disease and sickness. He feels compassion on the people because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. And, He says to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” This is my prayer.

You may not be working for an earthly paycheck right now, but you can earn a heavenly reward. Join the Lord in His work on earth right now redeeming the time, for the days are evil. Get involved in the work God is doing at this point in time— for time, as we know it, is coming to an end in His perfect time. You may be on lockdown, but as Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:9, the word of God is not imprisoned!