Wasting Time

How do you spend your time?

Last month Wade Hodges preached at Memorial asking this question. He encouraged us to go against our culture and feel free to "waste time" in God appropriate ways. Spend time with your spouse, your children, your grandma, and your small group. Most importantly spend time with God. It may not be productive in our world's eyes or in a financial sense but we desperately need to just waste time more in these ways.

I'm trying to take this advice to heart. Last Saturday Easton, my 6 year old, and I wasted time playing chickenfoot (dominoes) with my Aunt Becky, Aunt Jessie and my 94 year old Grandma D (who beat me soundly!). Then we wasted time with my Mom and step-Dad over dinner. I delighted watching Easton waste time reading books with his Grandma who loves him so much. This week it is on my agenda to waste more time with my wife and with my four year old, Tyler. We have a park date this weekend just the two of us.

All of this reminds me of my African friends as well. Their culture is more friendly towards wasting time and is why I believe their relationships and communities (families, villages, etc) are so strong. Of course, wasting time can be taken to an extreme and I know many Africans who could stand a small dose of Americanism so they can be more productive. But many of my African friends do work hard - they just tend to work hard at chores we never have to think about. Chores like walking long distances to carry unclean drinking water for their families and then having to boil it. Another time killer is dealing with sicknesses that are easily treatable. This kills potential productivity and wastes their time.

We need more balance and justice here. We Americans need to learn how to waste time better with God and our family and friends. We need to sit at the feet of Jesus more. I'm convinced that when we do we will become more convicted to help Africans and other poor people across the world so they don't have to waste their time in extreme poverty.