The Abuse of Time

P.O Box 1540, Albany Western Australia 6331
Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418 418
E-mail: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

The Abuse of Time
Time is indeed precious. And I don't mean simply in terms of hourly wages. I'm thinking more in terms of the big picture. What the Bible means when it says: "Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should" (Psalm 90:12 TLB). Friend, to the degree that life is sacred or viewed as a gift from God, time is also sacred and a gift from him. So it shouldn't be abused or desecrated. Some of us abuse time by chronic procrastination. We put off things that need attention. We delay to the last possible minute. We create needless panic for ourselves and everyone who depends on us by being so irresponsible. It may be rooted in insecurity or fear or failure. Some people even think it is a form of trying to wrest control away from a parent or professor or boss. Perhaps it's just laziness. However, although all of us sometimes manufacture problems for ourselves and others by putting off until tomorrow what could be done today, there is another abuse of time that seems even more pervasive among the people I know. It has certainly been a bigger menace to me and the people whose lives are bound up with mine. That more common desecration of time is frenetic hurry. Type-A personalities tend to push too hard. We meet the deadlines others set for us and then self-impose deadlines others would never dare set. Everything is done in haste. And there is a great deal of ego satisfaction in hearing others talk about "how hard he works" or express amazement that "she can run circles around anybody else in the company." But there are down sides too. One person's constant hurry becomes stressful for others. The compulsion to "get it done" quickly degenerates into tasks getting priority over relationships, accomplishments being more important than friends and family. Then one begins to wonder about the absence of peace and joy and contentment with life. Sometimes our theology contributes to a frantic lifestyle. If life is just about "getting ready to meet Jesus," then we'd better hurry to do all the serving and witnessing and sharing we can cram in. Otherwise we are wasting our precious time. Friend, time is God's gift, and life is not to be abused with frantic haste. What of the spiritual value of living in the present? Playing games with your children? Giving them undivided attention? Paying attention to people in the midst of your life? Prioritizing them while still meeting deadlines and being productive? I sincerely hope you will genuinely think about these questions I've just asked, because neither frantic busyness nor careless inattention honours God's gift of time so much as making it holy by being aware of those with whom we are sharing it. Therefore, if you're reading this article today and you have come under conviction that you're abusing your time by not spending enough of it with your family and friends, I'd like to send you a FREE booklet that could help you spend more time together with the really important people in your life. The book is titled "No time for your family? -- Here's what to do about it." To receive your personal copy, just write to me at: P.O. Box 1540, Albany WA 6331. You can also Phone/Fax your request on: (08) 9841 8418. Or by Email: abl-alb@omninet.net.au Have a great day!

The Abuse of Time

Time is indeed precious. And I don't mean simply in terms of hourly wages. I'm thinking more in terms of the big picture. What the Bible means when it says: "Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should" (Psalm 90:12 TLB).

Friend, to the degree that life is sacred or viewed as a gift from God, time is also sacred and a gift from him. So it shouldn't be abused or desecrated.

Some of us abuse time by chronic procrastination. We put off things that need attention. We delay to the last possible minute. We create needless panic for ourselves and everyone who depends on us by being so irresponsible. It may be rooted in insecurity or fear or failure. Some people even think it is a form of trying to wrest control away from a parent or professor or boss. Perhaps it's just laziness.

However, although all of us sometimes manufacture problems for ourselves and others by putting off until tomorrow what could be done today, there is another abuse of time that seems even more pervasive among the people I know. It has certainly been a bigger menace to me and the people whose lives are bound up with mine. That more common desecration of time is frenetic hurry.

Type-A personalities tend to push too hard. We meet the deadlines others set for us and then self-impose deadlines others would never dare set. Everything is done in haste. And there is a great deal of ego satisfaction in hearing others talk about "how hard he works" or express amazement that "she can run circles around anybody else in the company." But there are down sides too.

One person's constant hurry becomes stressful for others. The compulsion to "get it done" quickly degenerates into tasks getting priority over relationships, accomplishments being more important than friends and family. Then one begins to wonder about the absence of peace and joy and contentment with life.

Sometimes our theology contributes to a frantic lifestyle. If life is just about "getting ready to meet Jesus," then we'd better hurry to do all the serving and witnessing and sharing we can cram in. Otherwise we are wasting our precious time.

Friend, time is God's gift, and life is not to be abused with frantic haste. What of the spiritual value of living in the present? Playing games with your children? Giving them undivided attention? Paying attention to people in the midst of your life? Prioritizing them while still meeting deadlines and being productive? I sincerely hope you will genuinely think about these questions I've just asked, because neither frantic busyness nor careless inattention honours God's gift of time so much as making it holy by being aware of those with whom we are sharing it.

Therefore, if you're reading this article today and you have come under conviction that you're abusing your time by not spending enough of it with your family and friends, I'd like to send you a FREE booklet that could help you spend more time together with the really important people in your life. The book is titled "No time for your family? -- Here's what to do about it." To receive your personal copy, just write to me at: P.O. Box 1540, Albany WA 6331. You can also Phone/Fax your request on: (08) 9841 8418. Or by Email: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

Have a great day!