So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

Ephesians 5:15-17

In our culture, we love “free time”. We look forward to opportunities to just chill and do nothing, to binge-watch our new favorite shows, to mindlessly scroll social media, or even to just take a nice, long nap. While it’s true that the Lord wants us to both work and rest, and that Jesus doesn’t mind if we occasionally do any of those things, focusing the majority of our “free” time on selfish pursuits would definitely not be considered wise.

Our time is our life, and none of us wants to be labeled a fool because of how we choose to spend it. Fortunately, Paul gives us instructions to keep us from living like fools. He tells us to be careful, to live wisely, to use every chance we have for doing good, and to learn what the Lord wants us to do. Rather than mindlessly wasting the time we are given, we need to ask ourselves if the activities we choose are truly the best ways to spend our days. 

At the end of your life, the most important things running through your mind probably won’t be the things you binge-watched or saw on Instagram. You won’t be regretting that you hadn’t taken more naps or spent more time on the couch. You will be thinking about the lives you influenced with yours: the people you encouraged, the meals you fed the hungry, and the hearts you pointed to Jesus. God gives you His Word, His perfect game plan for your life, for wise living. His will is that you become the person He created you to be so you can do the work He has planned for you to do. (Ephesians 2:20) Give Him each day, and ask Him where He needs you to spend your free time. Then you will be sure to spend it wisely. You are loved!