What to Do When You Have Extra Time on Your Hands?

It is apparent that more people are having to stay at home and learn to cook more than they ever had to before Coronavirus. Some of them are finding out that cooking is not as easy as they may have thought. One lady tried to make some banana bread and it turned out to be play-dough that smelled like bananas. How hard can it be to make spaghetti sauce? A husband was making supper one night and when he went to turn the bottle of thyme and shake it into the sauce the lid popped off and dumped a big pile. He attempted to removed it manually but that just got thyme and sauce stuck to his fingers. He called for his wife to come help. It appears he had extra thyme on his hands.

Americans are a very busy people. Everything is geared to hurry, hurry, hurry. However, during the Covid-19 stay in place order some of us have been blessed with more spare time. Unfortunately, statistics show that though modern man has more spare time he spends less time worshiping God, studying the Bible, praying, etc.

With extra time on your hands have you thought about spending more time in prayer. In 1 Thess. 5:17 we are commanded to “pray without ceasing”. Jesus said in Luke 18:1, “At all times men ought to pray and not to lose heart.” Prayer takes time. Prayer is so important that failure to pray is a waste of time. Martin Luther once said, “I am so busy now that I find if I did not spend two of three hours each day in prayer, I could not get through the day. If I should neglect prayer, but a single day I should lost a great deal of the fire of faith.” The person who takes time for prayer will find ample time for all the other things needing his attention.

These days there are many things to pray about. We pray for the sick, those caring for the sick, for our nation, for our brethren, etc. In fact, when checking up on one another ask if they have a need you can pray to God about.

Don’t wait till the end of your life to look back on your failure to pray and lament like the following preacher did as he said: “‘Pray without ceasing’ has been the sentence repeating itself in the silent thought and I am sure it must be my practice till the last conscious hour of life. Oh, why not throughout that long, indolent, inanimate half-century past?”

The fact is, no man is so busy that…

∙ he cannot grow old
∙ he cannot get sick
∙ he cannot die
∙ he cannot face Judgment Day

In the following piece of poetry by Norman L. Trott the sad condition of those who have no time for God is demonstrated.

No time for God?
That day when sickness comes
Or trouble finds you out.
And you cry out for God;
Will He have time for You?

No time for God?
Some day you’ll lay aside
This mortal self and make your way
To worlds unknown,
And when you meet Him face to face
Would He – should He,
Have time for you?

Remember, if one is too busy to pray he is too busy for God’s blessings, promises, and making preparations for heaven.

– Daniel R. Vess

2020-04-22 - The Stay in Place - Weekday Touch Base #13
2020-04-24 - The Stay in Place - Weekday Touch Base #15
Categories: The Forum