How Do I Spend My Spare Time?

Read 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13.


Many years ago, a wise pastor colleague advised me to guard my day off jealousy. "No one will give you time off," he said (or something to that affect). "You have to take it and protect it." Because Sunday is a work day (and a lot of Saturdays are, too), my "weekend" is on Friday. It's been different days throughout the years, but at this point in my life, Friday works well.

So it's appropriate to get this question on a day when I actually have some spare time. And, being an introvert, Fridays are generally my day to recharge, to spend with as few people as possible and to do as little serious work as possible. It's not a day that I just lay around; it's time that I invest in nurturing my soul and spirit.

So...to the question. How do I spend my spare time? It's different every week for me, but here's what today has looked like so far. I got up and went to exercise; since officially finishing cardiac rehab, I have continued in "maintenance" mode in order to have accountability and to continue to strengthen my heart. (On Monday the 23rd, I will do my 100th rehab session.) From there, I normally go to Dunkin' Donuts for some good iced tea, maybe run an errand or two, then come home and shower. I plan to hang out here part of the day (everyone else is working), do some reading and catch up on a show or two, then head out later to spend some time with my kids and make a visit to Starbucks. The goal, at the end of the day, is to be renewed and refreshed, full of chai tea and ready for the next week.

I was talking with a friend the other day about how we are all wired so differently. My wife, Cathy, can take an hour here or an hour there and find herself refreshed. I find that it takes me longer than that to unplug. I need a whole day, generally, to allow my brain and my soul to relax. The important part is not having a rigid or legalistic way or spending spare time, but finding a rhythm that allows you to be renewed. That is, after all, the point of sabbath rest, spare time.

When Paul was warning the Thessalonians against idleness, he wasn't talking about not taking time off for rest. That's often how we hear his word and sometimes how it's preached, but that's not his point. That would have been very un-Jewish and un-Pharisee of him to ignore the commands about Sabbath rest. What Paul is pointing at are those who refuse to work at all but expect to be taken care of. There is probably a word here for our culture about idleness and the dangers thereof. But it's not a word that says we must work every single minute. God set the example for us way back in Genesis. He rested. It's good for us to do that, too.

Comments

  1. This week's challenge seemed simple enough. However when I was actually trying to follow it I found out just how far I am away from where God wants me. Goals as a result are to deep dive in prayer, allow God's time to be his and not mine,. Last but not least is look at blessings instead of those things that try to pull me down. The Wesley challenge isn't some short term revival. It is something that needs to happen in my daily walk with Him. It actually takes work. I have found out he just how spiritualy lazy I am during this challenge

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