August 7

4 comments

Creating Value From Time

By Michael Q. Pink

August 7, 2014

Christian Business Institute, grocery coupons, problems, time, value

“Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16 AMP)

Time is like a grocery coupon. It only has value when you redeem it for goods. And like time, coupons have an expiry date on them. Now, imagine that every day, you get a coupon in the mail and you can exchange it for anything. Here is what most people do… They either use it as a replacement for toilet tissue or they redeem it for worthless items to consume upon their lusts and amuse themselves. Very sad.

Can you imagine walking into the grocery store that allows one shopping cart full of anything you want in exchange for a coupon, and you choose to redeem it for a bottle of soda and a bag of pretzels? That’s how most people treat their time! They have been given a coupon they can redeem for any opportunity and they trade it for frivolity or menial things. They sell themselves short.

The coupon says the bearer determines the value and they can trade it for whatever they wish. The coupon represents the time we are given each day, and people so often put an incredibly low value on their time. And what is time, but their life? So what’s really happening is that people don’t value their own life. They have no idea of their worth and thus trade it off every day for lesser things. It’s astonishing that our very life that Jesus Christ purchased with His own blood, we esteem as nothing. How blinded we are!

But Paul tells us to not to be like the unwise and witless, but rather like the wise and to make the very most of our time by trading it for each opportunity. How is it possible that we offer less than our best?

The problem is that people have no idea what opportunities are staring them in the face. That’s because opportunities are guarded by problems. The bigger the problem, the greater the opportunity. It’s always been that way. Always. So today, look at the problems facing your life. Then recognize that behind every problem is an equal or greater opportunity. If you can’t see the opportunity, ask the Lord to show you. He will.

The key to seeing the opportunity is to first of all, rise above the problem. We are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus but tend to only look at the situation from an up close and personal perspective.

Put some distance between you and the problem. Step back from it and get a higher perspective. Ask our Sovereign Lord and King to show you things from His perspective, to open the eyes of your understanding that you may know the victory He has called you to, the deposit of His glory within you and the exceeding greatness of His power toward all that believe. (Eph 1:18-19).

Solving problems for others is what creates value. Value is how we create a standard of living for ourselves. If you can’t solve your own problems, how will you solve others? As many of you know, I am starting a Christian Business Institute for believers who want to master the art of creating value, thus redeeming their time for something of worth. This will be a real school of business, where real learning and application takes place. I hope you will be on the journey with me.

Until then, be fruitful and multiply!

Michael Q. Pink

About the author

Michael is America's leading authority on applying Biblical Wisdom and Natural Law to sales and business and has authored 19 books including The Bible Incorporated, Selling Among Wolves and God's Best Kept Secrets. Using that knowledge, he has helped thousands of professionals and entrepreneurs experience radical transformation in their lives and careers, including helping a start-up with 3 struggling sales reps turn the corner and become the 16th fastest growing company on the INC 500 list. 

    • Jay… I would agree that there is the tyranny of the urgent. Mastering that is a challenge all by itself. And although that tyranny is part of the equation, I was thinking more of the discretionary ways we spend our time that are not a good exchange so to speak.

      The return on investment is simple… It’s tied to whatever opportunity you applied yourself toward. If you are successful, you reap the reward. If not, you learn something new and keep on, keeping on.

  • Hello Michael,

    Redeeming our time, is of course, putting into play, first things first, next things next, and last things last.

    The solution to prioritizing those endless possibilities daily begins with a prayer to start our day…

    “Thank-you LORD yet for another precious day! Holy Spirit, please lead, guide, direct, empower and bless everything You inspire me to put my heart, mind and hand to.

    Open all my senses; spiritual and natural, to both comprehend and understand how to optimize both the challenges and the opportunities, you allow to come into my midst.”

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