My sister encouraged me recently to be attentive to "redeem the time." She reminded me of how our mother saved green stamps and then regularly redeemed them for something of value - a toaster, flatware, towels, or glasses. Those stamps, like our daily minutes and hours, are to be wisely redeemed for something worthwhile. We should not ever waste or squander precious time, but yet we do.

So how can we best redeem the time? I have found that asking questions is a practical and helpful tool for this. Questions can probe our understanding and help us make choices to live wisely. Following are some good questions which help us to pause and prayerfully reflect on issues in life's seven areas. (Note: Loving God in life's seven areas is JOY's focus for the year.)

• What is my most important family goal this year, and what's the most important step I can take to achieving it?
• What's one thing I can do to improve my marriage? my family life? my house?
• What area most needs simplifying, and what's one way I could simplify in that area?

Financial

• What change could I make to improve my financial status?
• What new financial habit and/or skill can I establish?
• To what need or ministry will I try to give an unprecedented amount this year?

Personal Growth

• What is the single biggest time-waster in my life, and what will I do about it this year?
• How can I grow and develop in my strengths and giftings?
• What single thing can I do this year that will matter most in 5 years? In eternity?
• What book, in addition to the Bible, do I want to read this year?

Physical

• What health practices do I need to initiate this year?
• What physical fitness disciplines do I most want to develop this year?

Professional

• If a business colleague gave me one piece of advice, what would he/she say? Would they be right? What will I do about it?
• What new skill do I most want to learn or improve in?
• What training do I need to enable me to perform better at my job?
• What's the single most important thing I could do to improve the quality of my commute this year?

Social

• What is the most helpful new way I could strengthen my community? (example: school, neighborhood, shelters/aid centers, etc.)
• Who do I most want to encourage this year? How?
• What people would I like to get to know better this year? What will I do?
• Whom will I show hospitality to and when?

Spiritual

• What one thing could I do this year to increase my enjoyment of God? my enjoyment of prayer? my enjoyment of the Bible?
• What's the most humanly impossible thing I will ask God to do this year?
• For whose salvation will I pray most fervently this year?
• What is the most helpful new way I could strengthen my church?
• What's one Biblical doctrine I most want to understand better this year? What will I do about it?

As I've started to think about some of these questions, I'm seeing what good tools they are in helping me live well and redeem the time. (In my next post I'll discuss how we can take these questions and turn them into meaningful goals.)

What other questions help you be aware to redeem the time?

More articles by Fran Dwelle

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