Welcome! I read a quote this week that inspired me. It’s by the great 18th century revivalist and minister, Jonathan Edwards. He wrote his 70 Resolutions between 1722 and 1723. One of his resolutions is, “Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.” Wow. That hit me like a ton of bricks.
I typically only have one or two free hours per day. The rest of my day is dedicated to Bible reading and prayer, listening for God’s voice, walking, cleaning houses, writing, keeping appointments, grocery shopping, yard work, etc.…. I have very little free time. I think it’s best to dedicate my time to honoring God, taking care of my health, parenting my children, taking care of my home, and using my God-given talents.
So if I want to spend each hour in a way that wouldn’t embarrass me if it were the last 60 minutes of my life, what kinds of activities should this eliminate? Let’s start with TV. “Matlock” is just about the only show I watch while sitting down. I enjoy movies, but I watch these while I’m exercising. I find using resistance exercise bands while watching “Gettysburg” or “Emma” very relaxing.
But I think it’s time to challenge myself to read instead of watching “Matlock.” I already know what happens in each episode, after all. Reading rather than watching TV makes sense for a writer, doesn’t it?
Then there’s my smartphone. Sheesh. I can waste an hour searching for dresses on my JC Penney app, checking my Weather Channel app, reading emails, signing petitions for the American Center for Law and Justice, and responding to texts without even knowing how much time has passed.
So what have you done over the past hour? Are you proud of these achievements or does reading this column make you squirm?
Whether you spent the past hour weed whacking, washing dishes and folding laundry, crunching numbers and balancing your checking account, taking a walk while praying, getting groceries and trying not to get angry about how many people you’ve nearly collided with at the ends of the aisles, consider what the Bible says. Paul writes, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16 NKJV)
So whatever work or activity you’ve scheduled for today, analyze it and see if it has any value. Taking care of your spirit and body has merit. So does maintaining your home and yard. Keeping important appointments is time well spent. But if, like me, you waste an hour or more a day looking things up on your phone or watching mindless TV, maybe you can join me in reflecting on what the Apostle Paul and Johnathan Edwards wrote. Then perhaps we can both make little changes that improve how we spend each hour.
Have a wonderful week. Blessings!