Look
carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of
the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but
understand what the will of the Lord is.
(Ephesians
5:15-17)
24 hours. 1,440
minutes. 86,400 seconds. That is how much time each of us have every day. It
sounds like a lot, but some people seem to get a lot more done during that time
than others. I am amazed at how much some people seem to get done, and appalled
at how little I seem to get done, each day. We all have the same number of
seconds, minutes, and hours. What makes the difference is how we use them. Paul
instructs us to make “the best use of the time,” literally ransom, redeem, or buy back the time, “because the days are
evil.”
Most of us have
probably wished we could actually buy a little extra time or buy back some of
the time past, but of course, that is impossible. What is possible, however, is
redeeming time by reclaiming it from this world and its distractions and using
it in productive and eternally meaningful ways. That does not mean spending
every minute of every day in Bible reading and prayer. After all, besides our
explicit religious duties, the Bible teaches us to work (2Th. 3:10), care for
our families (1Tim. 5:8), love our spouses and children (Eph. 5:22-6:4), do
good to our neighbors and enemies (Tit. 3:8), and enjoy the good gifts of God (Ecc.
5:19). Sometimes watching a movie with your spouse, playing soccer with your
kids, sipping lemonade with your neighbor, or being diligent in an uninspiring,
earthly job is “making the best use of the time” and is the best, most
spiritual thing to do. In fact, to do otherwise in some cases may even be sin
(Jas. 4:17).
The brevity of
life and the evil of this world should not be mistaken as reasons to neglect
the very earthy responsibilities and liberties God gives us, but they should
remind us to make the best use of our time in view of eternity. It is not
wrong, so far as I know, for a Christian to have email, Facebook, and Twitter
accounts or to read the newspaper or news websites or to blog. But surely we
all recognize the inherent dangers in these facets of modern society.
Christians who wisely avoid and caution others about the threat of Internet pornography,
sexual predators, and other online hazards will, nevertheless, spend countless
hours stuck in the black hole of online interaction. Believers become experts
in blogging but lack any serious knowledge of the Bible. They debate and
discuss theology based on Internet articles and Facebook comments, but how many
of them have ever read one serious work (or twenty) on theology? Do we actually
believe the hours spent reading blogs, bulletin boards, and Facebook are being
used in productive and eternally meaningful ways?
Actually, it is
quite possible they are. I have found a lot of help in my walk with Christ
reading blogs and articles written by godly people, and I have both encouraged
and been greatly encouraged by my friendships and interactions (both positive and
negative) via social media. The truth is the Internet is morally neutral. It is
just a thing, and like most things, it can be used for good or bad. The
question is not whether one ought to
use it but how and how much. This is where a Rule of Life
or some personal guidelines for holiness may be helpful, not as rules by which
to judge others, but as parameters for measuring and controlling one’s own
life. I once read a book entitled Never
Check Email in the Morning. It was a great concept, one I have lately wondered
why I ever discarded. Some Christian teachers have recommended a personal
commitment to No Bible, No Breakfast.
It is a simple idea. Make feeding on God’s word a priority above feeding your
own body. Something similar could be adapted for Facebook and social media. No Knee-mail, No Email. No Scripture, No Twitter. You might confine
your online activity to specific periods of the day, or commit to reading solid,
edifying books, learning and reviewing memory work, or studying the Bible or a
language before jumping into the Internet pool of ignorance each day.
These are merely
examples and suggestions, and you may have much better ones. The point is that
thinking through these kinds of issues is necessary if we are serious about
redeeming the time and pursuing holiness. Wise stewardship of our time will not
just happen. It requires careful examination, prayer, and diligence, but the
pay-off is worth it. 24 hours. How will you use what is left of today? -JME
