The Sin Of Doing Nothing

"The best use of a life is to invest it in something that will outlast it."  (William James, psychologist).
"[M]aking the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil" (Eph. 5:16, NKJV).


Sloth, indolence, or acedia is known as the sin of doing or wanting to do nothing (laziness) and is better known as one of the so-called seven deadly sins of Roman Catholicism.  Analogous is spiritual inertia or getting slack spiritually and losing discipline.  It's hard to get motivated sometimes!    Inertia is one of Newton's laws of physics that says a body at rest tends to stay at rest and a body in motion tends to stay in motion!  We expend most of our energy just getting motivated and started just like when rockets launch and use most of their fuel just getting off the ground.  But we all need times of spiritual, mental, and physical R & R but we can get carried away and lose our work ethic. We love to take it easy and be entertained or have a diversion but often too much for our own good.  That's why God instituted the Sabbath (meaning "rest") to be taken on the seventh day of the week as God did so after Creation and hallowed it. "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God," (cf. Heb. 2:9). 

Today according to New Testament custom we are not under the Law to go through any strict observance of the Sabbath; therefore, we are not to judge our brother on his conscience.   Everyone should keep their faith to themselves and not judge.   In principle, as a rule of thumb, any OT command not reinstituted in the NT or repeated is not valid; for example, the only command of the Decalogue not repeated for Christians is Sabbath observance.  It is not mandatory for Christians, but they are free to exercise their own faith and conscience.  It is clear from Neh. 9:14; Ezek. 20:20; Rom. 15:4, and Col. 2:16 that Sabbath laws are not binding for believers and Christians ought not to judge one another on what he believes.  NB:  The Sabbath was originally meant as a sign for Israel only, though the principle is always intact.

It is wrong to believe that early Christians changed the Sabbath to Sunday in honor of or tribute to the Resurrection and called it the Lord's Day--this was their day of church gathering but it is clear from Scripture that Sabbath observance was never enforced in the early church.  The Sabbath was originally a sign for Israel to mark it out as God's nation-- its original intention was for man's benefit, not to be a burden ("the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath").  Though we are not under this kind of obligatory observance the principle of periodic rest remains and if we neglect it, it will be to the detriment of our wellness. 

If we don't observe this principle (and don't realize that life is more than work) we will pay the price in a possible nervous or mental breakdown and God will force us to lie down in green pastures so to speak.  We ignore rest at our peril and any short-term gain will have long-term effects.   It takes faith to give God back the time He has given us and to realize we can accomplish more in six working days with one for rest and dedication to God than if we work all seven days.

Time is of the essence and a commodity we must value and not waste!  The Bible exhorts us to redeem the time because the days are evil and Psalm 31:15 says that our times are in God's hands---it's not our time but only borrowed from God and we are mere stewards of it.  Therefore, there is no such thing as an interruption because God is in control and fixes our schedule.  When we live in God's time and walk with Him all things go smoothly according to Plan A.  We should want God's will for our lives and don't want Him to say, "OK, have it your way!"  

Some people are so stingy with their time that they think God is worthy of only one hour of it per week while at church!  There is this saying from an ancient people that they don't like to overwork and take breaks to let their souls catch up with their bodies!  Taking a break isn't a sign of laziness but may be wise in the sense that a rested person can work all the more (efficiently).  Our spirits, as well as bodies, need refreshment and rest--we are not machines.

Now, since we are stewards of our time let us consider what people do with it:  we can waste it, find it, lose it, spend it, borrow it, save it, redeem it, steal it, buy it, kill it, share it, while it away, wait for it, invest it, enjoy it, anticipate it, remember it, fill it, and so forth, ad infinitum.  Time is indeed our most precious commodity and Ernest Hemmingway said that time is the thing we have least of. Remember, love is often spelled T-I-M-E!  We all value quality time with our loved ones and must remember we will give an account of our usage. Time flies (tempis fugit in Latin) and we cannot control it, only manage it.   As far as investing it goes,  we never lose out by giving God our time!  Prayer is never a waste of time but an investment: Martin Luther started out the day with several hours of prayer, and if he was going to be busy--he'd spend more!  This principle works for everything we own and gives back to God--He returns to us more in return (we are never the loser!).

For example, if you are pressed for time and cannot ever find enough, start investing in giving Him your time and He will give you "more" as a gift in return!   When someone says he doesn't have the time, it's a lie and deception because we all have the same 168 hours per week as a gift from God--it's not our time to give but to use for God's glory.  Jesus always had the time!  We are only allowed a limited amount of time in this life and must seize the day (carpe deim in Latin).  What it means is that he doesn't have the devotion to God's time, because it all belongs to Him.  I am aware that there can be periods of depression or of having a depressed funk and to be in the doldrums, but one must learn to get out of the ruts and to avail of God's blessing and turn it into one's advantage and learning experience (chalk it up to experience and the school of hard knocks!).  We can learn from these down-times and timeouts and everyone must experience them or they will never grow up spiritually.

It's times like these that our habits form and influence our behavior and we find out that there are dividends to reap in having good time management habits--there is an intrinsic reward in knowing that we have been productive and wise investors of the time God has allocated us as a gift to be used for Him and the service of others.  We may retire from our employment, but never from God's service.  It is selfish to insist on too much "me-time" or personal time-outs and not see it as something we owe others and God.  In view of time as a God-given resource, we are all on borrowed time! 

Certain people don't have all the time in the world, some are just better investors of it to God's glory.  There is a tendency for people who have time on their hands to waste it, but he must realize that he too will give an account as to how he kept busy with God's time.  Remember the words to Esther (Esth. 4:14, HCSB):  "... Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this."  Remember that God orchestrates history and time and "when the fullness of time" (cf. Gal. 4:4) comes He will accomplish His will.  And so, learn to get with the program on God's timetable with your rhythms in sync with God's timeline, so you're on the same page with God!   Final food for thought:  We will always have enough time for God's will because He created the time-space continuum and can make time for us too.   He MAKES EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IN HIS TIME.  (CF. ECCL. 3:11).    Soli Deo Gloria!  

Does Time Matter?...

"[M]aking the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil" (Eph. 5:16, NKV).
"Time is the thing we have least of." --Ernest Hemingway
Do you have the time?  It's a gift from God! What you do with it should be your gift to God!
Carpe diem (seize the day)!  

By definition, time is a corollary of space and matter (not a measurement between two events because sometimes nothing happens) which both began ostensibly at the so-called Big Bang, which was the result of God's decree and the so-called energy clock began ticking. The Bible says that time began (cf. 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 1:2). According to the kalam cosmological proof of God, everything that begins to exist has a cause; the universe began to exist and therefore has a cause.  Thus it follows that everything in (subject to) time and space also had a beginning or a cause; God is eternal, not the effect of anything and needs no one or nothing (cf. Acts 17:25), and therefore, has no cause.

The law of causality corollary (kalam argument) states that everything that begins to exist has a cause.   He alone can manipulate the space-time continuum that runs according to His laws and rules.  "When the fullness of time had come..." Jesus was incarnated into the space-time continuum!   Time captivity implies that things happen in sequence and you cannot go back or skip to the future, but it is not an independent force or power, just a way of relating.  (We define time as a corollary of space and matter and is not absolute).

God created the space-time continuum and exists prior to and above it, not limited nor defined by it.  He has the power to defy its rules as its Creator; however, we are captive to time and cannot remove ourselves from its slavery.  We live in the present, not the past nor the future!  But with the Lord, a thousand years is as one day and vice versa.  Time is not of the essence.  God is the ultimate "multi-tasker," being able to do everything simultaneously.   (Everything that begins to exist has a cause, therefore, God has no cause or limits being eternal.)   He alone can manipulate the space-time continuum that runs according to His laws and rules.  "When the fullness of time had come..."  (cf. Gal. 4:4).  Jesus was incarnated into the space-time continuum!   Time captivity implies that things happen in sequence and you cannot go back or skip to the future, but it is not an independent force or power, just a way of relating.

God created the space-time continuum and exists prior to and above it, not limited nor defined by it.  infinite numbers of tasks at a time--all equally efficient and uncompromised.  When He spends time with us personally, it doesn't mean any less time for others.  Time is even comprehended differently among creatures:  a mushroom grows up overnight, while an oak tree takes decades.  A dog year is as seven of ours in comparison.  We all see time relatively, but with God, there is the absolute present and ever or always  NOW.  He is outside its framework and boundaries, not captive and understood by it.

Time matters for us as we are allotted only a certain amount of it and must give an account of our stewardship.  God has forever!  He existed in eternity past and eternity future is in His hands.  He is the Alpha and Omega or the beginning and the end of all things, including history and time as we know it.  We can do several things with our time as stewards:  use it; give it; find it; borrow it; make it; invest it; redeem it; spend it; buy it; steal it; waste it; save it; kill it, and even share it! Love can be spelled T I M E!  We all value quality time with our loved ones.  It must have some intrinsic value!  We all have 168 hours per week allotted and have the same responsibility as stewards to use it the best we can because we will give an account.  We all have a God-ordained right to set aside a certain amount of it for worship and rest as a Sabbath.

We have no excuse in saying we do not have the time for God's will, for procrastination is no excuse.  Time is definitely of the essence!  There will be downtime, spare time, quiet time, quitting time, spare time, free time, and busy or occupied time, but we must learn to be creative with what God gives us by grace and be accountable.  There are some things that deserve our full attention and others that don't!  Sir Walter Scott, the Scottish historical novelist, quipped, "Time and tide wait for no man!"  We all need to be wise and make time work for us and we do this by prioritizing and putting Christ first.  David said in Psalm 31:15 said, "My times are in Your hands."  We entrust our stewardship to God for prioritizing and He always provides the means to do His will; i.e., there's always time for that.  And redeem the time for the days are evil.... Eph.  5:16. 

Time spent with God in prayer, worship, or service is always an investment of time and the busier we are, the more it pays off in dividends. "Time flies" (tempis fugit in Latin) because we are stewards.  In other words, it's not as much as finding the time, as making the time.  Eternity has been put into the heart of man (cf. Eccl. 3:11), and we cannot understand nor explain it fully, even how God is not its slave but Creator, but we don't have to understand it to accept it and believe it; the true test of reason is that some things are beyond reason.  Jesus is even Lord of time, not its servant. 

We cannot control time and we are subject to its constraints and boundaries, but we can manage it to our benefit.  Having time to spare or to do what you want can be a gift and one should use it wisely, not as a given to take advantage of or take for granted., while the exhortation to take one's time controverts biblical advice; on the contrary, it's a resource to be used to the glory of God. In the final analysis, we're all on borrowed time!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Redeeming The Time...

"Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days"  (Eph. 5:16, NLT). 

Paul admonishes believers to "redeem the time because the days are evil" (cf. Eph. 5:16)!  We must get our plans in line with God's timing and will, for He makes everything beautiful in His time (cf. Eccl. 3:11).  We are only granted only so much of this precious element, which is merely a corollary of space and matter, and no one has more of it than any other until our time is up and we are called home.  We all have 168 hours in a week and the opportunity to get eight hours of sleep, if we are good at managing the time allotted us.

Time management is a managerial skill and it gets better with age and experience.  Jesus had a perfect timetable (never in a hurry nor late), and was always in God's timeline, will, and plan.  Note that Jesus never felt nor complained of being interrupted, for He recognized the providence of God in bringing about the glory of God and meaning to time.  We ought to respect each other's personal time, unless they are working for us, then we have the rights to make demands.

Since we are responsible only for the time given us (some have more downtime or free time than others, for instance), there are only a few things we can do with our time:  invest it; spend it; waste it and save it.  For example, prayer is never a waste of time, no matter how busy you are, and it's really an investment--the busier you are, the more you should pray!  We ought to save as much time as possible only in order to invest it in the Lord's work.  Wasting time is a sin and this is inevitable sometimes, but we must learn from experience.  How we spend time is a resume of our character and we should occupy and do things that are profitable and worthy of our time management.

Caveat:  Man is not made for idleness, but to be productive and busy in order to be fulfilled and have a purpose!  In sum, it's vital to make do with what time we are blessed with, because we are all virtually on borrowed time from God and will be held accountable, even for our R & R and what we do with our downtime, whether or not we can make it productive and meaningful.  Soli Deo Gloria!  

Numbering Our Days

"[Making] the most of your time, because the days are evil"  (Ephesians 5:16, NASB). 
"Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity"  (Col. 4:5, NASB).  
"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil"  (Eph. 5:16, KJV).   
"For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it passes by,
Or as a watch in the night"  (Psalm 90:4, NASB).


The Lord can teach us to number our days and get wise to the fact of our limited time.  Too many live like there's no tomorrow, and die like they didn't get a chance to live!  We tend to live like we won't die, and die like we didn't live!  The truth of the matter is that God holds the future, as Scripture (cf. Psalm 31:15) says, "My times [future] is in your hands."  We are to make the most of every opportunity as the Lord gives us in grace to make hay with.  When He gives us lemons, make lemonade!  In other words, carpe diem, or seize the day!  We are only here for a limited time and will be judged by our stewardship of the opportunities God has granted us.

When we truly number our days or see them for what they're worth in the perspective of eternity, we get wise and don't take life or time for granted!  What does this mean but to thank God constantly for all He has done in our lives, to be ever aware of His presence and blessings, and hopeful and prayerful for the future, as being in His hands?  We should thank God for prayers even yet to be answered! Only when we see how passing our life is, and frail, ready to fade as a leaf, do we have high regard for it and see it as a blessing not to be wasted--we don't have the right to live as we choose and spend time doing as our pleasure only.  When we say we belong to God, our time does too! We are never too busy for God's service!  "... All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come"  (Job 14:14, NIV).

We don't have the right to kill time, and we should always find ways to redeem or buy back whatever God has allotted us by grace.  We can invest our time, spend our time, or waste our time--choose wisely.   Somethings are not necessarily a waste of time, they just aren't necessary!  When we walk in the Spirit He guides us and makes our time valuable, but never think that God is out of control when the unexpected happens--we are never interrupted, just given opportunities.  No one is a waste of your time, just an investment! The two-time wasters are looking back with regret and looking ahead with worry--neither are necessary with the eye of faith.  Time management is in order for the faithful believer who will give account for his stewardship of God's resources.

In summation, we need to constantly update our schedule and agenda to put God in it, and to orient ourselves to His plans, not making Him fit into or approve of ours!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Are You Too Busy For God?

Everyone sooner or later faces challenges in time management and setting priorities if you have an agenda, bucket list, or a to-do list; here's some pertinent teaching:

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might..."  (Ecclesiastes 9:10).
We always find time to do the things we want to do as a rule, but we must learn to be flexible and adjust to God's timetable and plan--things don't always go according to agenda because life is unpredictable and our autopilot may be beckoning us.  God's providence has a reason and time for every purpose under the sun.

In today's rat-race and the dog-eat-dog world, we seem to attribute business as a virtue per se, regardless of the purpose.  If you don't know why you're so busy, your life may be unmanageable and you need to make priorities.  They say that time is of the essence.  Tempis fugit, (time flies) the Latin expression goes, and when we're having fun we don't know where the time goes.  The funny thing about our life is that it is like a vapor that vanishes and is soon over.  Ernest Hemingway said, "Time is the thing we have least of;" that is true because we are just stewards of the time God gives us (all things belong ultimately to God).  The abler we are, the more God assigns to be a steward of.

The point is to be faithful in what God gives you and not to compare yourself with others--their lifestyle is none of your business and not for you to judge--he is accountable to his God.  What's the point in being busy when you don't have a purpose in living--that is just being a workaholic and being busy for its own sake.  Sometimes God wants us to slow down and just enjoy life and Him in meditation.  Life can get hectic, but if we don't watch it the devil will make us so busy we crowd God out of our lives.  We should never be too busy for the Lord's work, just as Jesus never considered an interruption an inconvenience.  Some people do have time on their hands and God is trying to teach them to redeem the time and live one day at a time:  "This is the day that the LORD has made, let us be glad and live today"  (Psalm 118:24).  There are many things we can do to the time allotted to each of us, and we all have 168 hours per week to invest in God.

Work can be done to the glory of God--there is no special status to spiritual matters that qualify them to be of more inherent worthiness to invest in.  Praying is no more "spiritual" than washing dishes to the glory of God!  Work makes us realize the image of God in us and we see God at work through us--we have many given opportunities to work as unto the Lord.  There are several things we can do to time:  invest it, as in prayer because prayer saves time and the busier we are the more we need prayer;  we can just spend time or be doing something to keep busy; we can waste time by doing nonproductive activities that don't glorify God; sometimes we can even be known to kill time because we have downtime and don't know what to do with the extra time available.

But remember, the most important pertinent admonition from Scripture is to "redeem the time because the days are evil." Find ways to bring glory to God in what you do.   Being busy is not a virtue in itself unless it is to the glory of God; however, we should distinguish between being busy and staying busy. Workaholics are not virtuous because they are busier than most people, in the sense that they always have an excuse not to do the Lord's work.   I can always find something to do and never get bored, but I am not ever too busy to drop everything and answer God's call.  Stay busy, but don't get too busy your priorities are wrong--like crowding out family matters because work becomes your identity or number one priority.

When God's work is Job One, then everything falls into place.  Our work doesn't define us, but how we do it and our attitude does.  The thing we have to beware of is being slothful, lazy, or lethargic  (one of the "seven deadly sins").  Christ promises us a more "abundant life" and as a blessing, we are given more opportunity to serve Him.  In accountability, God doesn't want the leftovers of our time, but the prominent place and everything revolving around Him and to His glory. Lost opportunities can never be retrieved, like a spoken word or spent arrow, and we are accountable for them likewise as sins of omission.  The book of Haggai shows us that as soon as the Jews put God first in building the temple, God blessed them for getting their priorities straightened out.  Soli Deo Gloria!