Faith | If time is the most valuable thing you spend, in what are you investing?
Carl Sandburg observed that, “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.” And, unlike so many of this world’s resources, each person is granted the same daily portion—24 hours.
How we allocate our precious resource of time has important implications for our happiness and well-being.
Many of us would agree with Greek philosopher and naturalist Theophrastus (c. 371–287 BCE) that, “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” What we purchase with our currency of time is, therefore, worthy of our utmost consideration.
The teachings of Jesus Christ remind us that time can be spent for worldly fare that thieves can steal, moths can eat, and rust can corrupt.
Conversely, he taught that our time can be fruitfully exchanged for things of an eternal nature which do not wear out or waste away, such as the refinement of character that comes from blessing God’s children. For example, by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and attending to the lonely and disadvantaged.
When you visit the residence of someone who has lived in their home for an appreciable period of time, you can readily discern what has value and meaning to the owner by the types of furnishings and belongings they have accumulated.
Likewise, the choices we make regarding the use of time throughout our lives will plainly manifest to our Heavenly Father what we truly value and desire, and he will bless us accordingly.
The beneficial use of our time is greatly facilitated when we have a clear vision of what we want to accomplish in this life and set goals to accomplish these objectives.
In this vein, American businessman and religious leader M. Russell Ballard stated, “I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the technique of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential.
When you learn to master the principle of setting a goal, you will then be able to make a great difference in the results you attain in this life.”
As we endeavor to use our time wisely, it is important to periodically evaluate what we are truly accomplishing. In doing so, it will benefit us to remember that time may often be well spent in doing things that may appear outwardly as being unproductive, such as praying and contemplating our relationship with God, sitting quietly with a homebound friend, taking a walk to appreciate God’s creations and refresh our souls, and so on.
German aviator and religious leader Dieter Uchtdorf noted that if we are not careful, we may easily fall into the trap of “[wearing] our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life.”
Like some of you, I have had the opportunity to live in places and circumstances where those surrounding me had precious little of the things of this world. In these instances, I have, to my wonderment, unfailingly observed individuals who lived with genuine peace and joy, even in the humblest of circumstances because they spent their time doing things that were pleasing to God.
My association with these individuals has helped me to understand more clearly what Christ meant when he promised us peace at his hand, but in a manner different from how the world offers peace.
Certainly, this peace “which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) is something worth a goodly portion of our time!
Guest Spiritual Life writer Tyler Sorenson is Stake President, Kennewick Washington Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Questions and comments should be directed to editor Lucy Luginbill in care of the Tri-City Herald newsroom, 4253 W. 24th Avenue, Kennewick, WA 99338. Or email lluginbill@tricityherald.com.
