Author Laura Jackson: Redeeming the Time

Laura Jackson loves books--reading and writing them. A life-long reader, Laura studied English in college and taught 7th grade language arts before earning her Master's degree and becoming a school librarian. Now, she spends her days sharing great books with kids and her evenings writing books about teenage girls discovering God and His plan for their lives.

When I was writing Worth the Time, one scripture kept coming to mind.

Joel 2:25 (ESV) “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten….”

It resonated so deeply with me that I had a character in the book share it with the main character, who was distraught over the years she’d missed with her biological father.

God is faithful to restore—even the time we’ve wasted chasing things other than Him, following dreams that weren’t from him, and living in sin.

I spent years crawling out of a pit of sin. I knew it was sin, and the more I desperately clawed my way out of the pit, the deeper I sank.

Until He rescued me.

Psalm 40:2 (KJV) “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings.”

So, Jesus has set me free. And not only did He rescue me, He set me upon a rock. So what do I do next?

I’ve felt convicted to spend more time in the Word—reading it, memorizing it, meditating on it, talking about it. When I spend my time wisely on things that will last forever, I’m keeping myself from going back to that pit. I’m walking in the way He’s established because He reveals His will through His word.

And when I’m immersed in His word, I can fully live for Him—sharing the gospel with unbelievers and encouraging my sisters in Christ. Our time on this earth is so very short—a vapor in the scheme of eternity.

I don’t want to waste a moment on things that are not eternally good.

But it’s hard. What are some practical things we can do to spend our time wisely?

Here are a few I’ve thought of. What can you add?

*Get plugged into a church where the truth is spoken and where there is a community of believers who encourage and challenge each other.

*Limit Internet time (Okay, this one may just be for me. I waste SO MUCH time online doing nothing.)

*Keep a journal one day to see what you’re spending your time on. What is a time waster?

*Give back to others. When we volunteer regularly, we see how blessed we are, which often helps us not to take our time/health/etc for granted.

Find Worth the Time on Amazon. 

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Website/blog.