Time is of the Essence

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16 (NASB)

As I write this devotion, the “storm of the century” is barreling through the Gulf of Mexico, headed for the coastal area from far western Louisiana to the Alabama-Florida border. Residents in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish are under mandatory evacuation orders. Tens of thousands of people left yesterday, many of them on state-dispatched buses, having been told to leave now. The hurricane was expected to hit land in the next 48 hours.

As I prayed for the residents, I thought about what it must be like to be under a mandatory order such as that, to know that they only had a set amount of time to do what they needed to do. Their minds were certainly fixed on the tasks at hand. They had to pack, secure their homes as best they could, purchase emergency supplies, determine where they would go, and so on. There was even a long line of people dropping off their pets at designated areas. With the storm picking up steam, I doubt anyone was distracted from the goal. They understood the wisest course of action—leave now.

But I thought of something else as I prayed. I thought of Jesus’ return. What if we received notice that He would be here in the next 48 hours? What would we do? Would our mandatory orders suddenly take precedence?

Perhaps we would find the Great Commission of utmost importance. Fear of seeming “too religious” would fall by the wayside as we sought to share the gospel with our extended family members, friends, and neighbors. Maybe our first order of business would be to examine ourselves to be sure that we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). We might realize suddenly that growing up in church or currently attending weekly services don’t equal salvation. We would want to know what the Bible has to say about our souls and whether we truly belong to Christ.

We’d likely focus on walking uprightly as well. With His return imminent, we would feel that everything we did counted. We would feel that He must be watching us extra closely. We’d probably repent for each and every thing we could remember we’d done. We would treat our children with loving care, heap love and respect upon our spouses, and visit the elderly. If someone cut us off on the road, we might even wave in a show of kindness. After all, what would it really matter in the grand scheme of things?

I’m pretty sure we’d be discerning too. Whatever was happening in current events, whatever decisions we needed to make, whatever ethical dilemmas were posed, we would measure it all against the Word of God. If we didn’t know the answer ourselves, we would search the Scriptures. If Jesus—King of kings and Lord of lords—was coming, certainly His will should be done. Our minds would be set on a kingdom agenda.

Well, no, we won’t ever receive notice that He’s coming in the next 48 hours, but we have received notice that He’s coming. And we’ve also received our mandatory orders, all contained in the Bible. Our verse this week tells us to walk wisely and to make the most of our time, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:15-16). That means we are to walk out those orders, to share the gospel, live uprightly, keep our minds set on a kingdom and not an earthly agenda. We don’t know how much time we have. Thus, we ought to daily live as if Jesus’ return is imminent, because it is.

Heavenly Father, thank You for letting me know that Jesus will come again in power and glory. I pray to live in the light of His coming. Set my mind on a kingdom agenda, order my steps in Your will, and give me the grace to share this good news with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.