Choosing To Be Wise With Time in The Hard Seasons of Life

Choosing what we do with our time is one of the most important decisions that we make everyday. I am sure that many of you have heard quotes, sayings, etc. based on how important it is to make wise choices with our time as we never know what the future holds. I completely agree with that, but even more so I have been contemplating how to spend my time in this season of life, in this very hard and difficult season.

In the difficult and dramatic seasons of life it can be easy to whittle away time with things that aren't that important. Perhaps even more than when things are going "good" in life, there is a temptation to "veg out" and "disappear" when life gets more difficult. I have seen and been tempted myself on really difficult health days to veg out and spend my time on social media and just scrolling through countless pictures of people's lives who seem "perfect". But honestly I am learning a really hard but important lesson in this season. 

I am learning the lesson of choosing to be wise with my time no matter the season.

I was stopped short this past week by some verses in Mark 14 which state; 

"They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, "Sit here while I go and pray"...Then He returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray sot hat you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak. Then Jesus left them again and prayed the same prayer as before. When He returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn't keep their eyes open and they didn't know what to say.." 

-Mark 14:32-39-

It has occurred to me through reading this passage a couple of important things. First, our enemy is alive and at work in the world and we live and operate not only in the things we seen but in the unseen. One of the ways that we are easily distracted by accomplishing things that God would have us do is through "tiredness" and in "vegging out". 

Second, I want to share that I definitely think that being tired and needing rest are real things! Jesus talks in scripture about resting in Him. Fighting two serious illnesses leaves me often physically exhausted and yet I am challenged to admit that I seem to be able to find time to idly spend on social media but sometimes struggle to put energy into memorizing scripture. I am humbled to acknowledge that I might spend hours watching TV to help me on difficult pain days as I am forced to lay in bed, but struggle to read and meditate on scripture. And the list goes on and on... My question for you would be what are ways that you "veg out" but could use the time we are given wisely? 

Going through a difficult season in life is not an excuse for us to be given a "free pass" with our time. Instead, we are challenged to acknowledge that there are days that are too dark for those of us that are suffering to see light, yet God is light. He brightens the path before us and before each step that we take. 

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you."

-Isaiah 60:1-2-

There are experiences that are so extreme that they crush us and we struggle to have hope. But let us find our hope sweet friends not in "vegging out" but instead in the Hope that will not disappoint us. 

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."

-Romans 15:13-

There are days where the valleys that we are in are seem so deep and difficult that it seems that we will never find relief. But it is in those valleys that the Lord meets us in new ways that we never would have experienced had we not been in them. In those valleys we see the love of the Lord in new angles and see him at work in new ways then we ever thought possible. 

"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them."

-Isaiah 42:16-

I urge you sweet friends to not ignore or try and pass by the hard seasons by vegging out, instead let us dig into scripture and press on to know our Savior in new ways. Let the truth of His word fill our hearts as we wait on Him to answer us in our struggles. May His hope fill our hurting hearts like nothing else can because He will answer us when we are in distress.

"Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early Spring."

-Hosea 6:3-