How to Live 25,500 Days

Dr. Randy Carlson

At the turn of the 20th century, the average expected life span for a male was somewhere near 35, or 12,775 days; a few years and many days better for a woman. That is a total of at least 3,675 weekend days…just over 10 years of “non-working” days!

Today, the average lifespan is more than 70 years for a male (a smidgen closer to 74, really), and almost 80 for a baby girl born today. But if you were to take 70 years and break it down by how much off time a person would have, you’d see that it turns into 25,500 days total; 7,300 weekend days, or nearly 20 years of weekends. In other words, as quality of life increases and life expectancy grows so, too, does the non-working “free time.” Plenty of time for you to rest, right? How is it, then, that some of the biggest grumbles people have today is that there’s not enough quality time to spend with the family, not enough time to relax or unwind? Is there a massive paradox of perhaps conspiratorial magnitude, or has society simply chosen to ignore some key Biblical principles that can help it understand what is happening? I firmly believe it is the second choice.

Understand the Problem: “Only Robinson Crusoe had everything done by Friday”

It’s kind of a procrastinator’s creed, the anonymous quote about the erstwhile voyager. Another is, “Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow.” Both are unremarkable in themselves, other than to cause you perhaps to chuckle – but when you examine them a little more closely, you’ll come upon the real meaning. You see, everyone believes – for the better part of their youth at least and well into their later years at worst – that things will go on forever. It is an understood kind of rite of passage of youthfulness. There is plenty of time as you grow up, and death is not of consequence because it is so… far…off. Carrying this beyond youth

Inspiration becomes a little more problematic, though. To paraphrase the old saying, statistics bear out in that one in every one people will die. After youth, all the time in the world becomes mid-life and then retirement. And, suddenly, where have all the days gone? Where has all the family time and rest and “me” time gone? Age, work and the demands
on your personal life begin to encroach until even if you had 50,000 days instead of 25,000 it wouldn’t be enough. There is no more time for rest because there just is no more time. But is that really true? I say no. Rather, there is a slight but real misunderstanding of what the problem, and it follows, what the solution is. The problem is not less time – you saw that by the continued lengthening of life expectancy. The challenge is to use your time effectively, in a Godly, mature way. And that mature, Biblical understanding comes by using a model that God created for you so that you could enjoy the abundance He gives you.

It all begins in Genesis 2:2 where it states: “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.” God’s model is laid right before your eyes within the first couple chapters. First there was work…and then there was rest. And it was good, indeed.

Find the solution: What is Intentional Leisure?

What most people forget is that even God rested. Now, it wasn’t that God rested because he had scheduled to work seven days, but was done making the Universe a little more quickly than even He had anticipated (though, being God, I’m certain He is deft at completing projects quickly). God’s rest was an intentional rest. God planned to rest on the seventh day. How’s that for a Biblical concept? This is the important concept to grasp: Rest – or leisure – should be a part of your life. If you are not intentionally planning time to rest, you are not honoring God’s plan for your life! There is no more time for rest because there just is no more time.

To me, leisure is not simply another in God’s great and glorious tools to help you savor life. It’s even more important. It’s part of a natural God-designed continuum that travels from hard work to relaxation. Only, let me say this clearly, leisure isn’t the same as laziness or sloth, as some might have you believe. Intentional Leisure is a planned, practical approach to making sure you are honoring God’s model for rest in your life.

What that means is:

1. God’s plan for you intends for you to spend time with your family even when you are caught up with all the demanding work.

2. God’s plan for you makes room for you to go home on time so that you can kiss your children goodnight.

3. God’s plan for you includes time to leave the housework to the husband, while you spend some time alone, rebuilding, praying, worshipping.

4. God’s plan for you develops the space you need to regroup and rebuild your thoughts and ideas so that you can be effective for His kingdom.

It’s a similar concept to the body building ideology. When you are working out by lifting weights or doing some other exercise, you are instructed to make time to rest for a few days before you work out again. Otherwise, your muscles won’t have time to repair and rebuild. The same way, if you continually are at work or running around from one activity to the next – even one church activity to the next – and never rest…well, let’s just say your “thinking” muscles won’t exactly be as fresh as they could be. One of the key things to remember about Intentional Leisure is that you have to be smart about it, or else the allure of the sinful sloth and laziness will creep in and corrupt your attempts at good. That requires good planning and really being intentional about it – not simply relying on accidentalor happenstance circumstancesto create your leisure opportunities.

Why Biblical Principles Can Mean Nothing Without Action

Perhaps Mark Twain had some of it right when he said: “I have never taken any exercise except sleeping and resting.”

Think about what causes you to relax. Is it spending time with the spouse and children? Is it getting away from the kids? Is it working on a hobby that you’ve lost touch with because
life got in the way? Maybe it’s getting to that big thick book you’ve been dying to read, but haven’t had time. Whatever the case is, plan to spend time doing some of those relaxing things. Give yourself a peace that comes with rest. Give yourself the joy of God’s gift of relaxation and rest. Without it, you are not only robbing yourself and your family of the Lord’s abundance, you are not following Biblical principles.

Remember these important keys when using Intentional Leisure in your life.

1 – God rested, so it is really okay for you to rest, too.

2 – Your rest must be scheduled if you are going to make it “work.”

3 – Don’t fear taking time off, even (especially) if you’re in ministry. God will fill your shoes well. He is big enough to work without you.

4 – Enjoy the time for rest and do it consistently.

5 – Don’t feel bad afterwards.

Conclusion

You have at least 20 years of weekends given to you if you are a man who lives to full life expectancy. More likely than not, you’ll live longer should the Lord tarry. You have much more than that if you are a female who lives beyond her allotted average life span. That is quite a bit of time – if you use it wisely and understand God’s principles at play. What you do with your 25,500 days is up to you. How will you spend it? Will it be spent wondering why there isn’t 27 hours in a day, or will it be spent enjoying what God has given you in a family, friends or other qualities of life? I encourage you to find your leisurely pursuit and praise Him in your actions!

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