Motherhood is my newest adventure today. And adventure, it is! There are lots of new normals, which will soon be thrown out the window as our 3-week-old continues to develop and change. Although the transition to having a baby in our house has felt natural and joyous, parts of it have also been trying. At the very least, we’ve been undergoing various learning curves. 

One such learning curve for me, although indirectly related to the baby, is the stewardship of my time during this new season. Spending much of my time at home, and much of that time glued to the couch feeding the baby, forces me to consciously decide how to use my time (and occupy my mind). Netflix and social media have been the easiest, and admittedly the most preferable, time consumers for me. 

But what would the Lord have of me? Although Netflix and social media are not inherently sinful, does God approve of how much time I’ve spent on them? 

Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Colossians 3:2

I’ve been living out the flip-flopped version of that verse. The truth is, whether we are conscious of it or not, we make countless time decisions every single day. What time do you wake up? What do you do first when you wake up? When and for what do you pray? When and how often do you read the Bible? How much time do you spend on entertainment or social media? What do you talk about with your family or coworkers? 

Although most of our time decisions are made subconsciously, our time decisions matter. They affect our spouse. They affect our children and their future. They affect the non-believers who know us. They affect our church family. What we decide to do with our time now determines what kind of person, what kind of Christian, we will be in the future. And most of all, our time decisions affect whether or not we are obeying and glorifying God. 

I hope you will join me in examining how you are spending your time. We must ask God to graciously reveal our sins in this area, then confess and repent of them, remembering to ask the Lord to help us change for His glory. In an attempt to move toward change, I have made a practical list of alternative activities to occupy my time. I will share a few of those items here, and hopefully that will help kick-start your own list. 

• Read a book (name specific book and make it readily available)
• Memorize Scripture (list specific Scripture references)
• Pray (make a prayer list)
• Write a letter
• Make a phone call

Yes, social media and other mindless entertainment are easy and readily accessible, especially when you’re a stay-at-home, nursing mother of a newborn. But our time is not our own. What do we have that we have not received (cf. 1 Cor. 4:7)? I will give an account to the Lord for how I used the time He gave me. And I will witness how my time decisions affect my children as the future unfolds. These two facts are motivation enough for me to make a change. 

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