{"id":2613,"date":"2013-05-12T20:51:33","date_gmt":"2013-05-13T00:51:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/godonomics\/?p=2613"},"modified":"2013-05-04T20:52:52","modified_gmt":"2013-05-05T00:52:52","slug":"loving-your-job-turn-normal-time-into-defining-moments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/godonomics\/2013\/05\/loving-your-job-turn-normal-time-into-defining-moments.html","title":{"rendered":"Loving Your Job: Turn Normal Time into “Defining Moments”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why walk wisely?
\nEph 5:15-21 15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.<\/span>
\nChristians have a very realistic view of evil. We are not surprised when bad things happen, we know we are living in evil times. Why is that helpful? The Bible defines reality for us. If I tell you that you are about to go on a trip to a sandy beach… You have certain expectations and plans for your packing… It I had that the \u201cbeach\u201d is the middle of Afghanistan… You realize that you are not in the Gulf of Mexico, but the battle lines of war. The Christians needs to know that we are in a battle. We have an enemy, Satan who is trying to kill us, sink us, and take us down. So we must walk wisely knowing that this is dangerous territory.<\/p>\n

Last year, we took a dozen or so dads and sons out for a PAss Through the Fire coming of age ceremony. Part of the weekend was a paintball war. The dads against the sons. We dads were \u201cWalking wisely\u201d through the trees knowing dozens of kids were trying to shoot us. I found a piece of plywood (4 foot by 4 foot). I placed it in front of me so I could advance toward the flag without being hit. Bullets smacked up against the plywood as I slowly inched my way to the flag. I grabbed it, and began running toward the dad base. I couldn\u2019t see, my mask was covered in paint, I was sweating and exhausted, so before returning to the base I stopped walking. THinking I was out of danger and the boys were no where near our flag, I tossed the flag to another dad to walk the flag back to our base for victory. I heard the \u201cwinning\u201d horn go off a few moments later… and was SHOCKED to learn the boys had won. During our lazy walk back, they had got our flag and \u201crun\u201d it back to their base.<\/p>\n

When Christians don\u2019t realize we are in a battle, we walk when we should run. We wander into a battlefield foolishly unaware that we are about to be killed. We must Cater to the Greater SPiritual Battle. This is why Paul goes on to say…<\/p>\n

Cater to Something Greater By rejecting: \u201cSooner or later.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Eph 5:15-21 15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.<\/span>
\nThis phrase \u201credeeming the time\u201d could mean \u201cmake the most of every opportunity.\u201d There are two words in the Bible for time: Kronos and Kairos. The word used here is Karios. Why is that important? Kairos moments occur all the time. They occur when their are moments within the day, the hour, and the week. It\u2019s a recognition that \u201cthis is important\u201d \u201cThis is a moment\u201d or \u201cThis should be a moment or opportunity to redeem.\u201d The word is redeem is an active, action verb. We must do something here. We must see life a certain way. We must view the moment in a day.<\/p>\n