There are all kinds of strategies for investing money. We are told to invest in gold “because it has never been worth zero.” We are told to invest in stocks for a good return on investment, bonds for stability. There are lots of opinions and plenty of people willing to take your money from you.
With time, there is only one sure investment. Invest your time into fulfilling God’s purposes and plans for your life. Invest your life into activities that last for eternity.
Certainly key in this investment strategy is to invest your life into leading people to know, honor, and worship God with their lives. A fundamental part of this strategy is demonstrating and declaring the glorious Christ to unbelievers.
Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Colossians 4:5 NKJ)Again, we see the idea of being intentional and thoughtful about how we live. We are to be wise in our interactions with unbelievers. This wisdom involves discernment, skill, and an acute appreciation that time is short, our opportunity to influence them for Christ is limited.
This brings a thought to my mind. If I were representing my country as an ambassador in a foreign country, I would have to be very discerning and skilled in how I spoke to people. I would need to make sure I say the right things at the right times. I would be obligated to make sure I didn’t say anything that would be inappropriate. So, I would think about various situations and conversations that could be encountered. I would think through what I would say. I would think of ways to steer conversation toward the things my country wanted to communicate. I would think about what questions I might be asked and how I would answer them. I would think about things I could do to give people a favorable view of my country. This would be my responsibilities and if I wanted to be good at my job, I would think, plan, and envision how to be as effective as possible.
This is what it looks like to “walk in wisdom” toward unbelievers. I won’t just wait for things to happen, I will prepare for them to happen, I will plan to make them happen. I will envision how I can “buy up” (redeem) or shall I say, “snatch up” the moments I have in interaction with unbelievers to influence and impact them for Christ.
Now, this does not mean that as soon as our eyes meet I blurt out the Gospel as quickly as possible so I can say I “witnessed” to them. That is not wisdom. No, wisdom is skill, tact, discernment of how the Spirit of God is guiding you and how He is speaking to them.
And, Paul says we are to speak with grace. This means we will be gentle, kind, humble. It means we don’t have a self-righteous, condemning attitude. Yes, we speak of sin. Yes, we speak of God’s judgement and wrath against sin. Yes, we speak about eternity and the eternal torment that awaits those who refuse to repent of their sin and continue to reject Christ. But we speak from the realization that we are sinners saved only by grace. We deserve Hell. We are no better than they are.
God is an eternal God. He created time and He placed us in time for the purposes of eternity. We will invest our time wisely when we develop a keen appreciation of the truth that time is short . . . for everyone.
So let’s be skillful, prepared, practiced, intentional, and gracious in the moments we have interacting with unbelievers. Time is short. Their eternity is at stake.
Soli Deo Gloria!
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