By Harold Keller / L’Observateur / January 13, 1999

My wife gave me a book for Christmas written by Charles R. Swindoll. It isa daily devotional titled: “The Finishing Touch.” The title initially scaredme, thinking that maybe she thought I was finished.

After examining the contents, I realized that it was a book that would allow God to finish a work in me that He started. However, if that work isto be completed, I must yield to the Spirit of God and apply the instructions in that book to my life.

The message for the Wednesday of the first week really caught my attention. The author talked about all the day-planners and time-management self-help books that were available to help you save time and invest your time wisely. The message also said that the author would playdevil’s advocate and tell you how to waste time effectively. (I didn’t thinkI needed those instructions because I’ve been a master of wasting not only my time, but other people’s as well.) I decided to read on and see if maybeI didn’t waste as much time as I thought.

According to this book, the five rules for wasting time are: First, worry a lot. Start worrying early in the morning and intensify youranxiety as the day goes on. If you can’t find anything to worry about, listento the news or read the newspaper. Also, worry about your own failuresand mistakes. Worry about your weight, your marriage, your children, yourjob, and the reality of getting old.

Second, make hard-and-fast predictions. Don’t live one day at a time.Worry about yesterday and fear tomorrow. Ignore a line in the Bible in thefourth chapter in James which says: “You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.”Third, fix your attention on getting rich. Pray to win the lottery. Bedisappointed when you don’t.

Fourth, compare yourself with others. Forget that you are uniquely createdby a loving God. Don’t focus on the gifts God gave you and envy the giftsothers have.

Fifth, lengthen your list of enemies. Play the Blame Game. (Blame othersfor your situation.) Be paranoid, always suspicious, and hold ontoresentments.

The author suggested that if you want to set a new record in wasting time, put these five rules in motion.

I’ve never forgotten what a friend of mine told me 20 years ago when we were talking about a person we both didn’t care for. “I really hate him!” Isaid. “That doesn’t sound good,” she replied. “Why don’t you just say he’sat the bottom of your like list.”I still have a lot of names at the bottom of my like list, but they aren’t my enemies anymore. (I’m my own worst enemy.)I’ve decided that if God is to finish the work He started in me, I have to ignore all of the suggestions for wasting time.

I’ll end this article now, because if it goes any longer, I’ll be wasting time.

Harold Keller is a regular columnist for L’Observateur

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