Is it a sin to waste time?

Hearingheart · Jun 22, 2017

God has created you and knows you better than you know yourself so I would suggest asking Him for guidance and practice being at peace with who He created you to be.

Each of us has different characteristics, gifts and abilities. Each of us has different seasons in our life that ebb and flow with down times and up times

Balance and moderation are your friends.

.Mikha'el. · Jun 22, 2017

friend of said:
I'm sitting here on the net, playing games and trying to figure out what to do. It feels like there's a lot of stuff I "probably should be doing" I'm just not sure what it is. I kinda feel like I'm not being productive for the Spirit. I want to do more but how?????

Does anyone feel guilty sometimes about having down time or being unproductive? I didn't used to but now after becoming Christian I think about it more.

Why on Earth would you think it would be sinful? :scratch:

friend of · Jun 22, 2017

.Mikha'el. said:
Why on Earth would you think it would be sinful?

Because I could feasibly be studying the Bible, talking with others about Jesus, visiting the elderly, feeding the destitute and sponsoring a child from a war torn country with the time I'm using to watch videos of cute bunnies?

WilliamBo · Jun 22, 2017

friend of said:
I'm sitting here on the net, playing games and trying to figure out what to do. It feels like there's a lot of stuff I "probably should be doing" I'm just not sure what it is. I kinda feel like I'm not being productive for the Spirit. I want to do more but how?????

Does anyone feel guilty sometimes about having down time or being unproductive? I didn't used to but now after becoming Christian I think about it more.

Yea, I feel that guilt all the time. I think guilt can be a good thing and lead to repentance, and that it is trying to signal us to something we are doing wrong. I think there's false guilt from the devil and then there's true guilt that comes from God and our own conscience. Maybe you are needing to go deeper into God's love or have better relationship with Him?

disciple1 · Jun 22, 2017

friend of said:
I'm sitting here on the net, playing games and trying to figure out what to do. It feels like there's a lot of stuff I "probably should be doing" I'm just not sure what it is. I kinda feel like I'm not being productive for the Spirit. I want to do more but how?????

Does anyone feel guilty sometimes about having down time or being unproductive? I didn't used to but now after becoming Christian I think about it more.

This will give you something to do.
Matthew chapter 4 verse 4
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Romans chapter 1 verse 28
Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

John chapter 8 verse 31,32
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, " If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
2 John
9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
Job chapter 23 verse 12
I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.

Matthew 11
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Luke chapter 21
33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Romans chapter 10
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Mark chapter 13
31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
James chapter 1
25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
James chapter 4
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Isaiah chapter 45 verse 19
I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob's descendants, 'Seek me in vain.' I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right.
Jeremiah chapter 9
24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.
Jeremiah chapter 5 verse 1
5 “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem,
look around and consider,
search through her squares.
If you can find but one person
who deals honestly and seeks the truth,
I will forgive this city.

unfinishedclay · Jun 22, 2017

Phoebe Ann said:
Everyone needs down time for health's sake. You should only feel guilty when you have excessive downtime.

I agree. I believe excess is key when the of length of downtime is in question. And while in that downtime, be sure to guard your eyes and ears when engaging in any form of entertainment. The downtime with a remote control in hand or spending time on Internet can lead to temptation that the Lord Himself is not leading us to. 1 Corinthians 6:12 - all things are lawful unto me (Paul), but not all things are expedient...

.Mikha'el. · Jun 22, 2017

friend of said:
Because I could feasibly be studying the Bible, talking with others about Jesus, visiting the elderly, feeding the destitute and sponsoring a child from a war torn country with the time I'm using to watch videos of cute bunnies?

Not everything that is unwise or unhelpful is sinful. You seem to be confusing or conflating the two.

WilliamBo · Jun 22, 2017

friend of said:
Then my concept of good works shifted from "doing nice things" and "being a good person" to "OH I HAVE TO EVANGELIZE EVERYONE I MEET AND DO EVERYTHING AND IF THEY DON'T COME TO CHRIST IT'S MY FAULT AND I'M RESPONSIBLE" because doing nice things and being a "good person" is meaningless if you don't tell them about Jesus

then I eventually chilled out and realized that it's not up to me to save people and that God will find a way to help people as He knows who will be receptive to Him and who will not be, and this is knowledge which no human being possesses. So instead of worrying about being a bad, lazy Christian I just sort or mellowed out and realized my position as a seed sower for now, and that Christ is really enough.

Not sure why I'm so anxious about it, I guess it's a combination of desire to serve and desire to guide others.

I know those thoughts and feelings all too well, thinking I have to ''save the world'' haha. I'm learning its the enemy perverting my desire to serve God into a paranoia. I'm also learning that cultivating a deeper relationship with God is my number 1 priority, and he will guide me on where to go. It has been VERY hard for me to drop the paranoia thinking that ''everyone around me is going to hell'' and that its my responsibility to save them, I still struggle with it but I believe God is starting to take it away finally. Do you really think it's meaningless to be a good person without telling them about Jesus verbally? I feel like by showing people Christian love and kindness they often KNOW that you are a Christian just by that... that's good you realized your position as a seed-sower, I really need to work on that

CrystalDragon · Jun 22, 2017

friend of said:
I'm sitting here on the net, playing games and trying to figure out what to do. It feels like there's a lot of stuff I "probably should be doing" I'm just not sure what it is. I kinda feel like I'm not being productive for the Spirit. I want to do more but how?????

Does anyone feel guilty sometimes about having down time or being unproductive? I didn't used to but now after becoming Christian I think about it more.

It's not a sin, it's just not a good thing to do excessively.

friend of · Jun 22, 2017

WilliamBo said:
I'm also learning that cultivating a deeper relationship with God is my number 1 priority, and he will guide me on where to go. It has been VERY hard for me to drop the paranoia thinking that

Yeah, I think we're sort of cut from the same cloth.

WilliamBo said:
I still struggle with it but I believe God is starting to take it away finally.

Yeah I mean, it's almost laughable some of the things paranoia makes us think sometimes.

WilliamBo said:
Do you really think it's meaningless to be a good person without telling them about Jesus verbally?

Not entirely, I'm sort of exaggerating, sort of not.

WilliamBo said:
I feel like by showing people Christian love and kindness they often KNOW that you are a Christian just by that...

Yeah absolutely. I think this is a more mature approach for seasoned Christians. I don't see them running around yelling about cavalry at the top of their lungs. Probably a good thing too. hahaha

It's not that I'm completely dead serious with my original post, I just wish I was more...useful sometimes I guess. I imagine those members of the Body who are more productive than I am and it nurtures a desire to do more, but right now I don't really know how?

Maybe it's okay to just be happy for happiness' sake? After all, God does want us to be happy, right?

DennisTate · Jun 22, 2017

friend of said:
I'm sitting here on the net, playing games and trying to figure out what to do. It feels like there's a lot of stuff I "probably should be doing" I'm just not sure what it is. I kinda feel like I'm not being productive for the Spirit. I want to do more but how?????

Does anyone feel guilty sometimes about having down time or being unproductive? I didn't used to but now after becoming Christian I think about it more.

Pastor Rick Joyner was given a fascinating visionary dream where this was dealt with.......

Just scroll down to the title The Judgment Seat of Christ.......

and you will find it......

Actually.... the heading is The Truth of Grace.......

The Final Quest [English] Rick Joyner

I then noticed someone I had known on earth. He had been a faithful believer, but I did not think he had done anything of significance. He was so physically unattractive on earth that it had made him shy. Here he had the same features, but was somehow more handsome than any person I had known on earth. He stepped up to me with an assurance and dignity that I had never seen in him, or anyone, before.

"Heaven is much greater than we could have dreamed while on earth," he began. "This room is but the threshold of realms of glory that are far beyond the ability we had to comprehend. It is also true that the second death is much more terrible than we understood. Neither heaven or hell are like we thought they were. If I had known on earth what I know here I would not have lived the way that I did. You are blessed with a great grace to have come here before you have died." he said while looking at my garments.

I then looked at myself. I still had the old mantle of humility on, with the armor under it. I felt both foul and crude standing before those who were so regal and beautiful. I began to think that I was in serious trouble if I was going to appear before the Lord like this. Like the eagles, my old acquaintance could understand my thoughts, and he replied to them:

"Those who come here wearing that mantle have nothing to fear. That mantle is the highest rank of honor, and it is why they all bowed to you while you passed."

"I did not notice anyone bowing to me," I replied, a bit disconcerted.

"It is not improper," he continued. "Here we show each other the respect that is due. Even the angels serve us here, but only our God and His Christ are worshiped."

I was still ashamed. I had to retrain myself to keep from bowing to these glorious ones, while at the same time wanting to hide myself because I looked so bad. Then I began lamenting the fact that my thoughts here were just as foolish here as they were one earth, and here everyone knew them! I felt both stained and stupid standing before these who were so awesome and pure. Again my old acquaintance responded to these thoughts.

"We have our incorruptible bodies now, and you do not. Our minds are no longer hindered by sin. We are therefore able to comprehend many times what even the greatest earthly mind can fathom, and we will spend eternity growing in our ability to understand. This is so that we can know the Father, and understand the glory of His creation. On earth you cannot even begin to understand what the least of these here know, and we are the least of those here."

"How could you be the least?" I asked with disbelief.

"There is an aristocracy here. The rewards for our earthly lives are the eternal positions that we have here. This great multitude here are those whom the Lord called 'foolish virgins.' We knew the Lord, and trusted in His cross for deliverance from damnation, but we did not really live for Him, but for ourselves. We did not keep our vessels filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit. We have eternal life, but we wasted our lives on earth."

I was really surprised by this, but I also knew that no one could lie in that place.

"The foolish virgins gnashed their teeth in the outer darkness," I protested.

"And that we did. The grief that we experienced when we understood how we had so wasted our lives was beyond any grief possible on earth. The darkness of that grief can only be understood by those who have experienced it. Such darkness is magnified when it is revealed next to the glory of the One we failed. You are standing now among the lowest rank in heaven. There are no greater fools than the ones who know the great salvation of God, but then go on living for themselves. To come here and learn the reality of that folly is a grief beyond what an earthly soul can experience. We are those who suffered this outer darkness because of this greatest of follies."

I was still incredulous. "But you are more glorious and full of more joy and peace than I even imagined, even for those in heaven. I do not feel any remorse in you, and yet I know that here you cannot lie. This does not make sense to me."

Looking me straight in the eyes, he continued, "The Lord also loves us with a love greater than you can yet understand. Before His judgment seat I tasted the greatest darkness of soul and remorse that can be experienced. Though here we do not measure time as you do, it seemed to last for as long as my life on earth had lasted. All of my sins and follies which I had not repented of passed before me, and before all who are here. The grief of this you cannot understand until you have experienced it. I felt that I was in the deepest dungeon of hell, even as I stood before the Lord. He was resolute until my life had been completely reviewed. When I said I was sorry and asked for the mercy of His cross, He wiped away my tears and took away the great darkness. He looked at me with a love that was beyond anything that you can now understand. He gave me this robe. I no longer feel the darkness or bitterness that I knew as I stood before Him, but I remember it. Only here can you remember such things without continuing to feel the pain. A moment in the lowest part of heaven is much greater than a thousand years of the highest life on earth. Now my mourning at my folly has been turned into joy, and I know that I will know joy forever, even if I am in the lowest place in heaven."

I began to think again of the treasures of salvation. Somehow I knew that all that this man had told me was revealed by those treasures. Every step I had taken up the mountain, or into it, had revealed that His ways are both more fearful and more wonderful than I had known before.

Looking at me intently, my former acquaintance continued. "You are not here to understand, but to experience. The next level of rank here is many times greater than what we have. Each level after is that much greater than the previous one. It is not just that each level has an even more glorious spiritual body, but that each level is closer to the throne where all of the glory comes from. Even so, I no longer feel the grief of my failure. I really deserve nothing. I am here by grace alone, and I am so thankful for what I have. He is so worthy to be loved. I could be doing many wondrous things now in the different realms of heaven, but I would rather stay here and just behold the glory, even if I am on the outer fringes."

Then, with a distant look in his eyes, he added, "Everyone in heaven is now in this room to watch His great mystery unfold, and to watch those of you who will fight the last battle." "Can you see Him from here?" I asked. "I see His glory far away, but I cannot see Him."

"I can see many times better than you can," he answered. "And yes, I can see Him, and all that He is doing, even from here. I can also hear Him. I can also behold the earth. He gave us all that power. We are the great cloud of witnesses who are beholding you."

He departed back into the ranks and I began walking again, trying to understand all that he had said to me. As I looked over the great host that he had said were the foolish virgins, the ones who had spiritually slept away their life on earth, I knew that if any one of them appeared on earth now that they would be worshiped as gods, and yet they were the very least of those who were here!

I then began to think of all of the time that I had wasted in my life. It was such an overwhelming thought that I stopped. Then parts of my life began to pass before me. I began to experience a terrible grief over this one sin. I too had been one of the greatest of fools! I may have kept more oil in my lamp than others, but now I knew how foolish I had been to measure what was required of me by how others were doing. I, too, was one of the foolish virgins!" (Pastor Rick Joyner)

WilliamBo · Jun 22, 2017

friend of said:
Yeah absolutely. I think this is a more mature approach for seasoned Christians. I don't see them running around yelling about cavalry at the top of their lungs. Probably a good thing too. hahaha

It's not that I'm completely dead serious with my original post, I just wish I was more...useful sometimes I guess. I imagine those members of the Body who are more productive than I am and it nurtures a desire to do more, but right now I don't really know how?

Maybe it's okay to just be happy for happiness' sake? After all, God does want us to be happy, right?

Yea my mentor is in his 50's and he is the most Godly man I've personally ever met, and I've never heard him or had him tell me about sharing about Jesus with people in public... instead, he is very kind and loving towards people, being a ''blessing'' to whatever situation he's in... some people kind of ignore him but he just understands that's part of the territory in this world I think. He's always tried to teach me about showing the love of Christ ''in the mundane areas of life.'' He's a fine lawyer and fits in in society just fine, he has a decent house with 3 cars, kids, a dog, has hobbies... looks like most people that live in the suburbs. I ASSUME that his life is pleasing to God, sounds like it, right?

DennisTate said:
Pastor Rick Joyner was given a fascinating visionary dream where this was dealt with.......

Just scroll down to the title The Judgment Seat of Christ.......

and you will find it......

Actually.... the heading is The Truth of Grace.......

The Final Quest [English] Rick Joyner

Wow, what an incredible read! Thanks for sharing that. What do you think about it? Have you read all the other chapters on that site? If so, what is it all about?

dqhall · Jun 22, 2017

friend of said:
I'm sitting here on the net, playing games and trying to figure out what to do. It feels like there's a lot of stuff I "probably should be doing" I'm just not sure what it is. I kinda feel like I'm not being productive for the Spirit. I want to do more but how?????

Does anyone feel guilty sometimes about having down time or being unproductive? I didn't used to but now after becoming Christian I think about it more.

I remember reading about a talented major league baseball player who became a ball team manager with the fifth most wins in baseball history. Leo Durocher wrote in his autobiography, "The harder we worked, the luckier we got."

Ben Franklin advised people to find a calling or learn a trade. One who is idle and full of sloth might find an eviction notice or hunger stalking him. The queezy feeling one gets after not completing homework well or missing too many questions on a test is not enough to to pay the bills.

Jesus was teaching a crowd for three days in a row (Mark 8:2). It is difficult to be wise enough to draw a crowd to hear one's teachings and rarer to be talented enough for thousands of them to go hungry while listening without wanting to leave to get food. Jesus was able to quote relevant passages in the law, prophets and psalms. Jesus prepared for his ministry.

jesusandrainbows · Jun 22, 2017

1.Work on your relationship with God.
2.Pray, and read the Bible.
Do both of these things.
I felt like that too, useless, at first, but I'm getting to know God, now, and that's what I'm supposed to do right now.
Everything in it's time I suppose.
You'd be surprised what a relationship with God is like.

Rescued One · Jun 22, 2017

-Luca said:
Why would God make it endless? If he loved us then he wouldn't punish us for eternity.

There are sheep and goats.

1 Thessalonians 5
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Hebrews 9
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Rescued One · Jun 22, 2017

friend of said:
It's the second day of Summer and I'm about to go to the beach in a while and now I'm afraid I might enjoy it.

I would praise God for making a beautiful beach and giving you health to enjoy it!

jesusandrainbows · Jun 22, 2017

friend of said:
It's the second day of Summer and I'm about to go to the beach in a while and now I'm afraid I might enjoy it.

[edited]I was like this before. Still am sometimes.

JesusIsMySavior101 · Jun 22, 2017

Yes I do. I feel I am fighting the same battle trying to defeat the enemy to find my purpose and reach the next level / trial. That's how I look at it anyways. I think he uses these periods of rest to get us ready for the next step, to get us ready for what's coming next behind the river bend.

We should just pray for the wisdom to discern his will and the faith to believe it is done.

GingerBeer · Jun 22, 2017

friend of said:
I'm sitting here on the net, playing games and trying to figure out what to do. It feels like there's a lot of stuff I "probably should be doing" I'm just not sure what it is. I kinda feel like I'm not being productive for the Spirit. I want to do more but how?????

Does anyone feel guilty sometimes about having down time or being unproductive? I didn't used to but now after becoming Christian I think about it more.

If one tries hard enough then anything can be made into a sin.

mcarmichael · Jun 22, 2017

friend of said:
I'm sitting here on the net, playing games and trying to figure out what to do. It feels like there's a lot of stuff I "probably should be doing" I'm just not sure what it is. I kinda feel like I'm not being productive for the Spirit. I want to do more but how?????

Does anyone feel guilty sometimes about having down time or being unproductive? I didn't used to but now after becoming Christian I think about it more.

Clean your room!

Is it a sin to waste time?

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Jesus Saves

...yet not I, but the grace of God that is with me

...yet not I, but the grace of God that is with me

Jesus Saves

Matthew 25:40 everything we do, we do it for Him!!

Cool and refreshing with a kick!

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