The Youth Forum: How do you use your Leisure Time?
Ecclesiastes 11:9 and 12:1
A French saying goes, “Idleness is the mother of all viciousness”.
The wise words recorded in the above-mentioned verses are very
pertinent. Using leisure time gainfully has always been a difficult
task for many young people. It has been found that during holidays or
vacations, youths are likely to indulge in injurious activities, such
as drug abuse, banditry, outings for risky sexual relations.
It is noteworthy that youths mostly get involved in such
misdemeanours as a result of the bad company they keep. Most of the
mishaps that youths are prey to result from neglecting to make adequate
plans for the use of their leisure time. One must never equate the
absence of usual activities with actual rest. Time off has some great
advantages, as far as it offers multiple choices in the use of one’s
free time. It is prudent not to consider recreational activities only,
such as sport, travelling, reading, gardening. It would be advisable to
include creative and challenging pursuits, like active participation in
the affairs of the Ecclesia, volunteering to help the needy and
visiting the sick, holding biblical discussions with brethren, sisters
and/or interested friends.
To our young people I say, during your time off, always have a fixed
destination every time you leave your household. Going out aimlessly
with no particular destination is guaranteed to assure you a place on
the deranged persons list! Driving or walking with no destination is
like a lecture without a topic.
The Ecclesiastes verses, shown at the beginning, are relevant.
Accept it or not, you will be young only once in your life. Therefore
you will remember either joyfully or regretfully the way you spent that
most precious age. The Bible stresses “Remember your Creator”. To
achieve this, you have to observe the divine laws and regulations found
in the Scriptures. It doesn’t mean that you lead an extremely pious
life so that you deprive yourself of all pleasure. To remember your
Creator will itself bring you a lot of pleasure.
Just imagine, if you are offered a car and a driving licence, then
you would be free to enjoy all the pleasure you may get from driving.
However, in spite of the expected freedom, while driving you must comply
with all the rules and regulations of using the road. These regulations
do not prevent you from enjoyment, instead they are parapets for the
safety of road users, yourself included.
In the same way, this applies to the freedom given to you by your
Creator, God. Ungrudgingly, He has given you the free choice of how to
conduct your youth (Deuteronomy 30:19; Proverbs 27:11). What a
wonderful privilege! Nevertheless, God has set some ‘road regulations’
i.e. the standards He wants you to follow and which will spare you
‘road accidents’. These are the sorrows and the disappointments befalling many young people.
The Bible says: “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your
heart cheer you in the days of your youth …”. However, the same verse
warns “…but know that for all these things God will bring you into
judgment”. Remember your Creator by using wisely and cautiously the freedom He has given you.
As a youth, always guard your personal integrity as a precious asset
if you want to reap the benefits of successful living. Maintain
acquaintance with morally upright people, especially those of your
faith, for you will constantly infuse one another with new insights and
attitudes. By doing so, you will keep the assurance that your Creator
will remember you and give you pleasure abundantly (Proverbs 10:22).
Brother Innocent E’engele (Kibera Ecclesia, Nairobi, Kenya)
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