Have you ever noticed how easy it is to give time away now?

Not spend it.

Give it away.

There is a difference.

Spending time suggests intention. Choice. Awareness. You decided where it would go and why it mattered.

But much of modern life does not ask us to spend time carefully anymore.

It simply teaches us to surrender it a few minutes at a time.

One more episode.

One more scroll.

One more video.

One more click.

And suddenly an entire evening is gone.

Not because someone consciously decided:
“I want to hand away three hours of my life tonight.”

It happened quietly.

Like someone floating in calm water, barely noticing that the gentle current and soft breeze are slowly carrying them farther from shore. Nothing dramatic happened. No violent wave. No storm.

Just movement.

Small movement.
Constant movement.
Unnoticed movement.

And by the time they finally look up, they are nowhere near where they intended to be.

That is why the counsel at Ephesians 5:15, 16 feels so serious. Paul wrote: “Keep strict watch that how you walk is not as unwise but as wise persons, making the best use of your time.”

Notice — Paul connects time to wisdom.

Because time is not merely something we possess.

It is something we direct.

Or fail to direct.

And Satan’s world has become extraordinarily skilled at taking custody of human attention. Entire systems are now designed to keep people watching, scrolling, reacting, consuming, continuing.

Even stopping points have disappeared.

Years ago, a television program ended. A person got up. The moment broke naturally.

Now entire seasons wait in a single row.

Autoplay quietly asks:
“Continue?”

And before long, hours disappear into the glow.

Not necessarily through wickedness.

Through passivity.

That is what makes the danger so subtle.

Most people do not drift spiritually because they hate Jehovah.

They drift because they slowly stop steering.

The current does the rest.

That may be why Colossians 3:2 feels so powerful today: “Keep your minds fixed on the things above, not on the things on the earth.”

“Keep your minds fixed.”

That requires effort.

Correction.

Intentional direction.

A float in water naturally moves with the current. It takes no effort at all to drift. Remaining near shore requires awareness. Adjustment. Decision.

And perhaps that is part of what spiritual maturity means now — not merely avoiding bad things, but remaining in control of where our attention, energy, and time are being carried.

Because time is life in pieces.

Once a day is gone, it does not return.

And the frightening part is this: a person can feel busy all the time while accomplishing very little that truly refreshes the spirit. Endless entertainment can consume enormous amounts of time while giving almost nothing back except temporary stimulation.

But spiritual things are different.

A meaningful conversation in the ministry can strengthen the heart. Encouraging someone at the Kingdom Hall can quiet anxieties more deeply than hours of distraction ever could. Personal study can steady the mind in ways endless consumption never will.

Why?

Because humans were created with a spiritual need. Matthew 5:3 is not poetic exaggeration. It is reality.

We cannot endlessly feed on distraction and expect to remain spiritually strong.

And maybe that is why the account at Luke 10:41, 42 feels so close to modern life. Jesus told Martha: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and disturbed about many things.”

Many things.

That feels familiar.

Many notifications.
Many demands.
Many distractions.
Many voices competing for attention.

But Mary chose differently.

Not because nothing else mattered…
but because she recognized what mattered most at that moment.

Perhaps one of the clearest signs of wisdom today is simply this:

Refusing to allow the current to decide where our life goes.

based on:https://www.jw.org/finder?srcid=jwlshare&wtlocale=E&prefer=lang&docid=2026322&par=22