The full text of this tract for believers is shown below in the KJV version.

Time is something that we never seem to have enough of, but where does it go?

Take a few minutes to think about what you do in your spare time. Estimate and record the number of hours you spend on each activity in a week. Then find the total number of hours spent in all.

_____ Watching television/movies/videos

_____ Browsing the internet

_____ Social Networking

_____ E-Mail

_____ Texting

_____ Playing games

_____ Listening to music

_____ Reading books or magazines

_____ TOTAL

Are you surprised by your results? All of the activities listed above are things that many of us enjoy spending time doing, but have you ever considered whether these activities have any long-lasting value?

For some, they do. They may use texting to encourage a friend, or use the internet to learn more about a particular passage of Scripture. For others, the above activities serve no real purpose. There may be nothing wrong with these activities, but, is there something better?

All Christians agree, in theory at least, that the things of God are far more important than spending time on any of these activities. But do we show it in our everyday lives? It is so easy to pass the time reading or watching things, many of which may be ungodly and immoral in character. Sure, they may be entertaining and give us something to do, but many times these activities allow “this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4) to come into our homes and lives. We may delude ourselves into thinking that it will do us no harm because we would not think of doing such things ourselves. But what about the wasted time? Furthermore, what we see and hear leaves an impression upon our souls, whether we realize it or not.

As our physical well-being depends upon our partaking regularly of good, nourishing food, so does our spiritual health. A good and wholesome word for us all is given in 1 Timothy 4:13-16, where we read: “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee... Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”

As long as we are here in this world, we will be confronted with things that would be much better to refuse for the sake of our spiritual well-being. We should get in the habit of asking ourselves, “Will this please the Lord? Or, am I just seeking to please myself?”

Consider Samson. The underlying reason for Samson's downfall was not Delilah, but was seen earlier in his life as he gave expression to these words: “Get her for me, for she pleaseth me well” (Judges 14:3). This self-pleasing characterized him throughout his life and at last he lost his strength, his eyesight, his liberty, and finally his life.

May we all be overcomers in a most practical sense—“Lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience [endurance] the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1,2). We are exhorted to lay aside anything which would hinder our spiritual progress. Our desire in all that we do is that the Lord might be glorified and that we might be of the best possible service to Him.

—J.F.P., adapted

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