With Each Minute

I've been distracted lately.

Doom scrolling. Checking email every hour. Streaming five episodes of the Gilmore Girls before bed or work. And apps.

I try to justify why I'm so distracted, and some of it could be considered "productive", but like everyone else these days the distractions claim more and more of my precious time. In retrospect, the scrolling, streaming, or just dawdling in between tasks is shameful. Embarrassing, even. I remember one particular evening where I came home, ate dinner and then scrolled on my phone for about three hours before high-tailing it to bed. Even the most mentally taxing day at work doesn't justify it. I would've been better off taking a walk, praying, or even cleaning.

Something I'm increasingly convinced of is the importance of stewarding my time well, even if not carried out perfectly. I've started asking myself things like, "I have nine minutes until dinner's ready - what can I do with those nine minutes?" attempting to use the time efficiently. However, I think stewarding our time goes beyond efficiency.

As a Christian, I believe that all we're given is from God - including our time. Like our talents, finances and words, we can either manage our time well, or we can mismanage it and spend it in self-indulgence.

I found some verses to support the idea of stewarding our time well:

"So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12 LSB

A footnote from my MacArthur Study Bible tells me that to "number our days" is an exhortation for believers to evaluate the use of time in light of the brevity of life. Isn't that the truth. We're here for such a short while. Why shouldn't we make the most of it? Not surprisingly, the verse ends with a presentation to the Lord rather than our own gain. The end goal of numbering our days is for God. Though we do gain from making the most of our time, the ultimate end is that our lives be an offering to God who alone is worthy.

"Therefore look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

Ephesians 5:15-16 LSB

The wise man uses his fixed amount of time here on earth making the most of it. For the believer this means walking in the good works God has prepared for us and fulfilling His purposes. What wonderful things God has prepared for us to do and yet we settle for lesser things like Reels and YouTube shorts. Don't get me wrong, I'm not calling these a sin in and of themselves. Obviously, the content and quantity is what we should be concerned with.

"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much, and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.

Luke 16:10 LSB

When we're faithful with the minutes, we're faithful with the hours, days, weeks... You get the idea. By contrast, when we waste our minutes, it adds up. How does this effect our testimony as believers? What are we telling the world when we can't set our phones down at a reasonable time each night or delay reaching for it in the morning?

I know I can't always manage my time perfectly. I am a sinner after all. But viewing my time as being faithful, presenting it as an offering to God in service to Him keeps the subject in the correct frame of reference. Numbering our days is not some light-hearted idea. It's serious business.

My prayer tonight is that the Lord helps me to redeem the time and number my days.