Therefore
be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your
time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what
the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15-17)
I awoke this morning feeling a little guilty for the time I
wasted last night watching a ‘blood, guts, and gore’ Netflix movie. It
overflowed with gratuitous bloodshed.
Sometimes when I get to feeling sorry for myself, or simply
lazy, I like to plop down in front of the TV and put myself on auto drive. I
realized this morning I’ve been doing that a lot lately – especially my
decisions to watch a violent or otherwise worthless movie.
So, I apologized to the Lord. It is not the first time He
and I have had this little talk. Little wonder to me why I am very grateful for
His longsuffering patience.
The need to apologize and promise to not do it again off my
chest, I opened the scriptures for my daily morning read. I turned to the 24th
chapter of Matthew where I’d left off the day before. Verses 42-51 talk about
being always on the alert, looking for the Master. Waiting for Him. Scanning
the horizon for Him.
Chapter 24 moves seamlessly into 25. The first verses talk
about the 10 virgins. The next part talks about the three servants who’d been loaned
their master’s property.
Of the ten sleepy virgins, five were wise and kept their lamps
ready. Five were foolish and let them die out. Of the three who
received their master’s property, two used their time and talents wisely. One
did not. Read chapter 25 to find out what happened in each example.
It is not at all coincidental that the very moment I
finished apologizing to the Lord for again
wasting time, He had already orchestrated my daily journey through the scriptures to read those chapters of Matthew.
I don’t believe the Holy Spirit was threatening me with rejection. I am more secure in my relationship
with Him than to fear that. But I DO consider those two chapters as a serious
warning from Him.
Why do I still waste precious hours of my fleeting life, day
after day after week after month, year by year, on things that can neither
satisfy my heart nor feed my hungry spirit?
I’d like to think this is the last time He and I need to
have this same conversation.
2 comments:
Sometimes we need time to decompress in order to recharge our batteries. Recreation - re-creation - is designed into every day in monastic and religious life. So also is time for meditation and adoration. I think that St. Benedict's Rule is great for teaching us moderation and balance.
Of course, too much TV isn't good. And I really hate violence, blood and guts so I don't watch that kind of thing. But what I do watch is always being judged against what God has taught us. I look for Him in everything, and most often, I am seeing how His absence from people's lives in the plots accentuates the terrible brokenness throughout all history and cultures.
I agree we need time for re-creation. But the kind of re-creation is important. That is why I plopped (and plop) down in front of the TV -- to unwind. Nothing wrong with that . . . but the amount of TIME I spend is, I think, a waste of precious hours I can never recover.
As you said, balance is the key term. I need to re-find it.
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