"Quickly answer this simple question: “What do you put in a toaster?” Toast, right? Wrong. You put bread in a toaster and you get toast out.
Sometimes we get confused over what goes in and what comes out in other areas of life as well. Computer programmers have the saying, “Garbage in, Garbage out.” It means if you feed your computer bad data you will get bad results. It’s not the computer’s fault. It’s the programmer’s fault for not carefully selecting the input.
Many people today wonder why they have such “bad luck” when it really isn’t luck at all. Much of their difficulty is a result of “garbage in” thinking. Instead of using their discretionary time to fill their mind with God’s Word, they fill it with the garbage music and entertainment of the world. The result is a soul that eventually overflows with garbage.
But, while “garbage in garbage out” is true, its also true that putting the good stuff in brings the good stuff out and redeems the time.
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"A Reader’s Digest cartoon pictured a man at a service counter being handed back an item he’d left to be repaired. The clerk says, “It was guaranteed for the life of the product, which obviously ended when it broke.”
When I read that I thought, “I can relate to that poor guy in the cartoon.” After having several negative experiences recently with warranty programs that seem to make it as inconvenient as possible to get something fixed, I’ve come to the conclusion that these programs are often just not worth it when you factor in the extra time required to have service performed on their terms instead of what works best for you.
Before you sign up for any extended warranty program, remember to ask what the procedures are for getting service and how long the turn around time will be. Then double it and compare it turnaround time in a local shop.
God wants us to make wise choices which save money, but which also redeem the time.
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"Wasting time begins the same way any other sin does- with temptation. If we can deal with temptation before it becomes sin, we become much better at redeeming the time.
In 1 Corinthians 10:13, God says every temptation you and I experience, including the temptation to engage in a time wasting activity, is common to man. That means it is nothing unique to you. Everyone experiences it. But it goes on to say that God is faithful and that with the temptation He also provides a way of escape so you will be able to withstand that temptation.
Falling into sin, including the sin of time wasting, doesn’t have to be the norm in your life. God says we have a choice. We can choose to follow our natural desires and spend hours in frivolous or sensual amusements or we can choose the way of escape.
As you anticipate the remainder of your day, keep this verse, 1 Corinthians 10:13, in mind. You’re going to need it to redeem the time.
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"Someone said, ""Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today, because if you enjoy it today you can always do it again tomorrow.”
That’s another good reason to quit procrastinating. Quite often we waste time and miss valuable opportunities because we put off until tomorrow what God wants us to do today. We sometimes do this because we fear what might happen if we do the thing we’re avoiding. But God’s way produces the “fruits of the Spirit” such as love, joy, and peace.
Can you think of something right now you’ve been procrastinating on? Think back to the last time you really obeyed God instead of your own desires. Aren’t you glad now you went ahead and did the right thing? Didn’t you enjoy the peace that came to your heart from doing the right thing?
Remember, ""Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today, because if you enjoy it today you can always do it again tomorrow.” So do it today and redeem the time.
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