Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.”  You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring-what your life will be!  For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.

Instead you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”  But as it is, you boast in your arrogance.  All such boasting is evil.  So it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it.  James 4:13-17  HCSB

If you are like me the second you glanced at the title of today’s blog, the Styx song by the same title popped into your head.  That song was released in 1981 so I know I am showing my age here, but it was on the album Paradise Theatre which did go triple platinum so I’m sure that plenty of you are hearing that tune as you read this.  It was a catchy tune written by Tommy Shaw, guitarist for Styx.  Now according to Wikipedia the inspiration for the song lyrics came from Shaw’s experiences in a bar in Niles, Michigan.

There is a fine line between downtime, which is necessary, and having too much time on our hands.  I believe that a certain amount of downtime is necessary in order for us to rest and recharge.  But too much time on our hands can create serious problems for us.  You might have heard the old English proverb that says, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop”.  While this is not found in the bible, 1 Timothy 5:18 says that, At the same time, they also learn to be idle, going from house to house; they are not only idel, but are also gossips and busybodies, saying things they shouldn’t say.  

So there is a fine line between the appropriate amount of downtime and having too much time on our hands.  In the mornings I try to do those things that I must do for the day because I never know what my day may hold.  So I try to get up while everyone else is asleep and accomplish as much as I can.  I am also a morning person so it helps to get things that require any or much thought done earlier in the day.

Yesterday I had lunch with some friends, this is a downtime that I truly enjoy especially when it involves catching up with friends that I don’t get to see very often.  One friend was shocked to learn that I no longer enjoy shopping.  I explained that it wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy it, it was just one of those things that I had very little time for and I didn’t enjoy going shopping when I was rushed.

I remember when I envisioned my retirement thinking that I would spend my first few months getting all the things done around the house that I had been putting off and then I would spend my time traveling and shopping, but God had very different plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11).  Instead I have spent a great deal of my time caring for others and working with my church, all of which I enjoy. Maybe some day I will actually have time to travel and shop while I am still young enough to enjoy it, but that’s not my life today.

I have learned to be content with whatever task God sets before me.  I get great joy from the work that I do in our church.  I have also learned that God knows what my future holds, just as our scripture says.  I have tried to adjust myself to saying if God is willing that I will do this or that.  But sometimes, I will admit that I just go off at times with my plans and forget to consult God first.  When I do this, God usually puts me in check.  Just last year, I planned a trip with my nieces, my soon to be daughter in law, and a friend.  As the time neared for our trip, I realized that God just was not blessing my decision.  I had one problem after the other arise.  I cancelled the trip and this year I prayed before planning the trip and so far feel as though God has given His blessing.

We need to align our plans with God’s plans for our lives.  We need to keep busy.  While downtime is important there is a fine line between just the right amount of downtime and having too much time on our hands.  Too much time can be a dangerous thing.  Now I can use my downtime to watch a movie or read a book.  But there was a time in my life when I used my downtime to hang with my friends in the local bars.  This did me no good whatsoever.  I can understand how Tommy Shaw would have gotten the inspiration from the song by watching people in a bar.

My mom used to love to shop, she called it her therapy.  I like to get out on my mower and cut grass.  We  all have those things that we like to do because they relax us, but we must be careful that they do not get in the way of our spending time with God.  We must be sure that whenever we plan our day that we give God first place.  We must realize that we operate under God’s control and that we don’t even survive the night without God’s willing it to happen.  I have learned that when I put God first in my day He sees to it that I have time to accomplish all the things that I need to accomplish and usually can even get the appropriate amount of downtime.

We must learn to have balance in our lives.  I pray for you today, that you have learned that by putting God first and doing the things that He has called you to do that you can accomplish so much more.

Have a great day!