The Egregious Transgression of Time Wasting

One of my pet peeves is the frivolous use of time by young people. Many young people squander the precious coin of time by playing useless video games, scrolling through social media, and watching outrageous videos on YouTube. They are adrift upon a sea with little ambition, tossed and driven by the changing waves and winds of society. The saddest part of this tragedy is not necessarily the wasting of time itself; it's that most are completely oblivious to their sin. The gods of this world have placed cataracts on the eyes of this generation's youth, resulting in the unnecessary misuse of time.

Not only is a time-waster in error in my eyes, but the Bible also condemns those who indulge in selfish desires instead of using that time to build the kingdom of God. The apostle Paul, in his letters to the saints at Ephesus, admonished them, "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16). In other words, use every second,  take advantage of every moment and opportunity in order to combat the evil of the hour by upholding the immutable truth of God.

I would certainly agree that, with the prevalence of the Internet, it is extremely difficult to avoid the ubiquitous temptation to waste time. However, the victory is possible, and here are some simple, practical ways in which to transform those wasted moments into times of personal growth and development.


  1. Turn off the Internet.
  2. Create a daily agenda.
  3. Delete your personal social media account.
  4. Force yourself to read thirty minutes every day.
  5. Just realize and admit that you are a compulsive time-waster!

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