What is probably the single most important resource? I bet some said money, some will say food, some will say air, and the list goes on and on, but to me the most important resource is time. You cannot store time, buy time, or borrow time. Once a time has passed, it is gone forever. Each of us has a set number of days on this planet and it is up to us to make the most of it each day.
James 4:13-15 New International Version (NIV)
Boasting About Tomorrow
13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
Ecclesiastes 3:11 New International Version (NIV)
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
2 Peter 3:9 New International Version (NIV)
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Lamentations 3:25 New International Version (NIV)
25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
Why do we waste so much time? It is hard to say and for each of us it is different. Some of it has to do with age and experience. When you are young, you think that time goes on forever and that being 80 or 90 is so far off in the distant future. Some of it has to do with building a reputation and acquiring large amounts of money or fame. Some do not think that we waste time. So I will ask you one simple question, are you living life to the fullest and is it abundant? If the answer is no, then you are wasting your time.
I do not mean that you should go out and do whatever reckless thing you can do, but rather evaluate how you have been living. Take a person diagnosed with cancer and only a year or two to live, what do most do after the grief period is over? The live life to the fullest. Now take a person who was so involved in making money or growing a company, but had a family. What is one of the things they regret most? Not spending more time with the family. Take another person who has lived their entire life, but they are on their deathbed. What is the one thing they regret the most? Not using their time more wisely and spending it with family.
So do you waste time? I know my answer is yes. I cannot answer for you.
Are you doing what God has planned for you? If the answer is no, then you are wasting time. Gods time is not the same as ours and we think God is slow to answer/respond. The reality is that we are in too much of a hurry to hear what God has to say. So are you wasting time? If you are in too much of a hurry to listen to God, then I would say yes. If your response is that I have to do this and do that and there is only so much time in the day, then I say you are probably doing way too much. Just because you have filled your day with activities does not mean you are not wasting time.
Is it better to read the Bible or to take your kids to all these different lessons/sports/you name it? Is it better to take time to pray or stay up late and be in a rush the next day? Is it better to slow down and listen to God or be in a rush to get your daily chore list done? I cannot answer for you, but I know what I should do.