Time: pt. 2

Worthwhile vs. Worthless

What are the things worth the most to you in life? In the end, what are the things that will win out the battle for what is most important to you?

You spend your time on that which is most important to you. With the exception of work, which often requires us to be there if we are to provide for our selves and our families, it is very simple to determine where a person's priorities lie. Even as I write this I recognize that I place a disproportionate importance on entertainment, which is something that needs to be changed.

So what things are worthless vs. worthwhile? That is something that, to some extent, will be different for everybody. There are a few general rules we can follow though:

Something is worthless if:
It harms your faith, family, or character
It invites sin or sinful practices into your life
There is nothing redeeming about it whatsoever

Something is worthwhile if:
It builds up your faith, family, or character
It encourages you to become better in some way
It teaches skills or ideas that will improve your life in some way

Some will automatically take the track of saying "Games and novels and TV shows are obviously all mostly worthless." I would encourage a more nuanced view. The fact is everyone needs a break at times. That may mean reading a book or vegging out and watching a show or playing a game. Those things can all be good, as long as they are kept in check, as it allows us to get our minds off things, go somewhere else for a little bit, and rest.

It must be kept under control, however. It is far too easy for our short little break to turn into 4-hour marathon "break" sessions. Not only is this physically unhealthy, it is spiritually unhealthy as well. Furthermore, if it takes needed time away from your family and those things which need to get done, it can become a lifestyle problem as easily as breathing.

The point is to make the things you do worthwhile and beneficial to your faith, your family, and yourself. Don't squander your precious time on nothing, but instead spend it wisely, and you will find that you have gotten much further than you ever thought possible.

Don't worry if you mess up. Get back on board and try again. It is a long, often difficult process for us to begin using our time wisely on worthwhile things when worthless things are so easy for us to fall into.

So move forward! There is no time like right now to begin working on it. Remember to pray for help. You (and I) will need it. :-)