"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself woh do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it."
This is a passage from Romans 7 in the Bible, and is written in the middle of a discussion about lawfulness and sinfulness for Christians, particularly those new to Christianity.
However, as I find myself among so many others at this time of year, busy with a list that needs completed before the holidays or Christmas break but lacking all motivation to accomplish any of it, I thought about how I spend my time. Do I enjoy the amount of time I spend on my phone or social media? Am I doing anything meaningful during my day beyond the motions I find myself going through? What am I even doing with the time I'm given each day? Is it what I want to do, or is it distracting me from what I want to do whether sinful or not?
We all have 24 hours a day. Sure, there are some basics that need to happen everyday, such as
-Eating: yes, it's important for your health; no, you should not skip meals all willy-nilly
-Sleeping: see note above but change the underlined words to getting sufficient sleep
-Personal care: again but for, like, hygiene and taking care of yourself
-Work: in some capacity anyway, whether school, a job or three, parenting, etc.
-Time spent with God: some may disagree because of their personal beliefs, but this is valuable and makes your day so much better if you believe in God
-Time with family and friends: even if this isn't part of your everyday if you live alone, it should be at least a frequent, regular occurrence; see note under eating but change to social interaction or whatever other title you use for this time
-Other things you find necessary for survival or consider most important in your life: Um... answers may vary
What I'm saying is, we have a lot of time in the day to use, and it's easy to let them be consumed by what we may consider unimportant in the long run. So I want you to ask yourself a few questions about ways you're spending your time that don't fit into your basic needs.
-Is this activity strengthening, growing, or helping me in any way, shape or form?
-Am I physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually refreshed through this activity?
-Do I enjoy it?
-Is it healthy for me?
-Is the amount of time I spend on this healthy for me?
-When I finish this, was it worth it to me?
-Do I regret doing this instead of doing something else I would rather do?
That quote from the beginning, read it again, and think about how it may apply to what you do throughout the day. Are you doing what you hate to do? Are you not doing what you love? Then ask yourself, why?
We live in a world of distractions. It's easy to become invested in whatever technology and society expect us to. But are these healthy and helping us be better people, or are they hindering us by distracting us from what's important?
I've recently found myself guilty of investing time, hours even, into games on my phone or social media instead of checking off my to-do list or doing what I really want to do, such as reading those books I've had on my shelf for months if not years or going for a walk to simply ponder (haha, comedy) and reflect on my life. So, I intentionally, and this is the hard part, limit myself from engaging in activities that are not beneficial for me. I have set Facebook limits and deleted the app from my phone. I turn my phone off (what a novel concept...) which, despite what you're thinking, is okay and will not kill you or result in the end of the earth. It can also help if you plan out your day in advance to ensure you set aside time for what's most important to you. Do what you want to do not what you know you do not want to do, both spiritually and in your everyday actions.
After all, you only experience this day once, ever. So, how do you want to use your time?
This is a passage from Romans 7 in the Bible, and is written in the middle of a discussion about lawfulness and sinfulness for Christians, particularly those new to Christianity.
However, as I find myself among so many others at this time of year, busy with a list that needs completed before the holidays or Christmas break but lacking all motivation to accomplish any of it, I thought about how I spend my time. Do I enjoy the amount of time I spend on my phone or social media? Am I doing anything meaningful during my day beyond the motions I find myself going through? What am I even doing with the time I'm given each day? Is it what I want to do, or is it distracting me from what I want to do whether sinful or not?
We all have 24 hours a day. Sure, there are some basics that need to happen everyday, such as
-Eating: yes, it's important for your health; no, you should not skip meals all willy-nilly
-Sleeping: see note above but change the underlined words to getting sufficient sleep
-Personal care: again but for, like, hygiene and taking care of yourself
-Work: in some capacity anyway, whether school, a job or three, parenting, etc.
-Time spent with God: some may disagree because of their personal beliefs, but this is valuable and makes your day so much better if you believe in God
-Time with family and friends: even if this isn't part of your everyday if you live alone, it should be at least a frequent, regular occurrence; see note under eating but change to social interaction or whatever other title you use for this time
-Other things you find necessary for survival or consider most important in your life: Um... answers may vary
What I'm saying is, we have a lot of time in the day to use, and it's easy to let them be consumed by what we may consider unimportant in the long run. So I want you to ask yourself a few questions about ways you're spending your time that don't fit into your basic needs.
-Is this activity strengthening, growing, or helping me in any way, shape or form?
-Am I physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually refreshed through this activity?
-Do I enjoy it?
-Is it healthy for me?
-Is the amount of time I spend on this healthy for me?
-When I finish this, was it worth it to me?
-Do I regret doing this instead of doing something else I would rather do?
That quote from the beginning, read it again, and think about how it may apply to what you do throughout the day. Are you doing what you hate to do? Are you not doing what you love? Then ask yourself, why?
We live in a world of distractions. It's easy to become invested in whatever technology and society expect us to. But are these healthy and helping us be better people, or are they hindering us by distracting us from what's important?
I've recently found myself guilty of investing time, hours even, into games on my phone or social media instead of checking off my to-do list or doing what I really want to do, such as reading those books I've had on my shelf for months if not years or going for a walk to simply ponder (haha, comedy) and reflect on my life. So, I intentionally, and this is the hard part, limit myself from engaging in activities that are not beneficial for me. I have set Facebook limits and deleted the app from my phone. I turn my phone off (what a novel concept...) which, despite what you're thinking, is okay and will not kill you or result in the end of the earth. It can also help if you plan out your day in advance to ensure you set aside time for what's most important to you. Do what you want to do not what you know you do not want to do, both spiritually and in your everyday actions.
After all, you only experience this day once, ever. So, how do you want to use your time?
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