Are You Too Busy?
“THERE just isn’t enough time to do everything.” Hardly a day passes without our hearing someone express himself to this effect. But does it necessarily mean that the individual is truly busy?
Often the problem is not so much a matter of time as a failure to use available time well. Many hours may be spent in small talk, watching television, doing light reading or sharing in sports as a participant or as a spectator. Because of a multitude of such distractions, a woman may have difficulty in getting her housework done, and a man may be neglecting necessary home repairs or other essentials.
Strangely, a person may view himself as very busy when, in reality, he does not have enough to do. The English orator Philip Chesterfield well observed: “It is an undoubted truth, that the less one has to do the less time one finds to do it in. One yawns, one procrastinates, one can do it when one will, and, therefore, one seldom does it all.” But persons who are truly busy with essentials cannot put off caring for them. As Chesterfield noted: “They always find time enough.”
While we do not want to be so time conscious as to make life unpleasant for ourselves and others, we should give serious thought to our use of time. It is good to view time as a valuable asset, something not to be squandered. Never should the daily cares of life and our personal interests so occupy us that we have no time for serving God and helping fellowmen. Rather, we should want to feel like Moses, who said in prayer: “Show us just how to count our days in such a way that we may bring a heart of wisdom in.”—Ps. 90:12.
What would the answer to this request mean for us? Since our life is of uncertain duration, we would receive guidance to help us in using the days of our life wisely. We would learn to count or to evaluate them properly so as to bring honor to our Maker and to benefit fellow humans.
To receive the answer to our request for guidance, we need to act in harmony with our prayer. Almighty God has provided his Word, the Bible, and also the means by which it can be understood—his holy spirit and his devoted servants on whom that spirit is operating. (Compare Acts 8:26-35; 1 Corinthians 2:10, 11.) From the Bible, we can learn what is most important in life and what to avoid in order to enjoy a purposeful life now. Hence, if we really want to make the very best and wisest use of our time, we need to take time for Bible study.
What makes this matter very serious is that God has set a day for judging mankind by means of his Son, Jesus Christ. Through his Word and the proclaimers of that Word, he has made known the importance of starting to serve him without delay. Over 1900 years ago, an educational work began that made clear what Jehovah God expected from humankind. For example, the Christian apostle Paul told idol-worshiping inhabitants of Athens: “We ought not to imagine that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, like something sculptured by the art and contrivance of man. True, God has overlooked the times of such ignorance, yet now he is telling mankind that they should all everywhere repent. Because he has set a day in which he purposes to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness by a man [Jesus Christ] whom he has appointed, and he has furnished a guarantee to all men in that he has resurrected him from the dead.”—Acts 17:29-31.
Since Jehovah God has kindly served notice on humankind regarding this judgment, it is urgent for people everywhere to make a fine record with him before it is too late. A deliberate failure to use time wisely now can result in a condemnatory judgment. The seriousness of the situation is well illustrated by what happened in the time of Noah. People were totally absorbed with the daily routine of life and paid no attention to the warning that Noah proclaimed. Then, suddenly, “the flood came and swept them all away.” (Matt. 24:37-39) Just as quickly, just as unexpectedly, an individual may be caught as one disapproved before God when Christ Jesus comes to execute judgment against ungodly mankind. (2 Thess. 1:6-9) Or, without having made a record of fine works with Jehovah God, a person may die suddenly.—Luke 12:20, 21.
Hence, if you recognize that you have neglected spiritual matters, do not delay in letting Jehovah’s Witnesses assist you in examining the Bible. Then, use time wisely to build up a record of fine works with your Creator. You will never regret this, for the Bible gives this assurance: “God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name.”—Heb. 6:10.