Distraction of Daylight Savings TIme #devotion
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. Genesis 1:2
God created the day and the night for each of us as a gift. To help us utilize the daylight hours more effectively, daylight-savings time was established. Its original purpose was to increase farming productivity by changing the daylight hours during the summertime. Daylight-Savings Time continues to bless us with an extra hour of time every fall and steals it back again every spring. In the springtime, I lament the loss of the hour and typically sacrifice an hour of sleep, not to disrupt my routine of the day time activities. But in the fall, I find this hour a gift, a gift of unscheduled free time to use however I desire. This year I actually saw an article that gave a list of 24 ways to make the extra hour more productive.
But is the question really one of how we are going to use an hour granted to us one time a year, or the way we prioritize our time on a daily basis? Time – we each have the same amount of it granted to us each day. We each have the freedom to delegate how we want to use that time. Yet the majority of us still feel as if we do not have enough time to complete everything we want to accomplish in a day. We make lists, we keep calendars, we use reminders on our digital devices and still worry about the things we do not accomplish. What is left undone can cause us worry and stress – after all, our worth is dependent on the productivity of our day, or is it? Why do we put this stress of accomplishment on ourselves every day?
It is true that much of our day is already consumed with scheduled activities and responsibilities to others. We tend to blame distractions for eating up useless moments – to the point we even seek devotions about these distractions! We lament the interruptions that cause delays and disruptions to our schedules. When this happens, we feel out of control.
Romans 8:5-6; Those who live according to themselves or their personal desires have their minds set on worldly expectations; but those who live in accordance with Christ have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. And the mind that is controlled by the Spirit finds life and peace.
The world lures us to put certain things in first place and we think these things will give purpose to our life. But if we only seek worldly expectations, without our faith in our Lord Jesus, we can become very stressed and disillusioned. There is a difference between letting God take charge and turning to Him only at times that you need Him.
Instead of the listening to the world’s message: “Be ALL that You Can Be”, try striving for “Be ALL God has designed you to be.” God should not be the after-thought in our day but the starting point, and the source of our energies!
Even though you may be reading this long after the gift of an extra hour, you are still blessed with a new 24 hours every morning. What will you do with these new hours? The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
Lord Jesus, you are faithful and patient with me every day. As I struggle with the demands of the day, help me to see the blessing beyond the distraction, the gift beyond the interruption and the purpose to each interaction that graces my day. Rather than live my daylight hours with lists and demands, help me to see each moment as an opportunity to serve You and be your vessel in my world. Amen