The Gift of Time

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17, ESV)

You may think a year is 365 days long, but that is technically incorrect. It really takes the earth approximately 365.242189 days, a tropical year, to circle once around the sun. And, no, I will not (cannot) explain a tropical year. Just do an internet search to satisfy your curiosity.

This year is Leap Year, and February will have twenty-nine days instead of the usual twenty-eight. Without this extra day in our calendar every four years, we would lose about six hours every year.

Most of us complain that we don’t have enough time to get everything done. Now, on Leap Day those six hours times four—a full day, give or take a few seconds—will be placed back into our account. We will receive a gift—the gift of time!

If we truly did have the gift of extra time, how would we choose to spend it? Just think of the possibilities. We could:

• Catch up on our sleep or spend time on a favorite hobby. (Yes!)
• Plan a day to enjoy something special with loved ones. (Definitely yes.)
• Organize our junk drawer or clean out the garage. (No. Not that one.)

Ephesians 5:15-16 tells us to be wise and make the most of our time. It is so easy to fritter away a few minutes here, an hour or two there. Instead, make a plan. What if we took those twenty-four “extra” hours and scheduled several half days throughout the year to refresh our minds, our bodies, and our souls. Here are just a few ideas on how to spend this extra time.

• Take a mini-retreat to pray and spend time in the Word.
• Go on a surprise outing with someone special.
• Spend a few hours driving or walking in the quiet countryside.
• Volunteer for a special project or spend a morning helping someone in need.
• Take a class to learn a new skill.

I will confess that I sometimes allow distractions to steal my time. I suspect you might as well. (Technology anyone?) Sometimes I’m just not handling my schedule very productively, but sometimes those interruptions come from others. Are there things within our control to make better use of our time? Perhaps we should become more aware and intentional in how we spend our precious commodity of time.

Let 2024 be the year you take time—make time—to refresh yourself and to refresh your soul. Redeem your gift of time before it slips away.

Lord, each day You place 1,440 minutes in my time bank. Show me how to spend those minutes wisely. Help me to prioritize the important over the trivial. I want to make the best use of the time You give me.