A Complete Waste Of Time

A Complete Waste of Time

Lysa TerKeurst

My daughter Brooke got in the car the other day and sighed. It was one of those sighs that said, I’m going through something, but unless you ask me, I’m not freely revealing this information.

I casually inquired, “Tell me the high from your day and then tell me your low.”

“Mom,” she groaned, letting me know she secretly loved that I was asking, but all the middle school in her was making her play it cool.

I waited quietly, knowing she would eventually tell me. And she did. Something hard had happened at school that day.

I put my hand on hers. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I know that makes you sad.”

To my surprise, this normally emotional child said, “Actually, no. I’ve decided sometimes being sad or mad over stuff like this is a complete waste of my time.”

And just like that she smiled and was ready to get on with the rest of her day. No tears. No tirade. No lamenting and wearing herself out with a tidal wave of emotion while overprocessing this hard situation. Simply a thirteen-year-old’s decision that sometimes it’s just not worth all that. The child-turned-tutor. The young one doling out wisdom.

Sometimes being sad or mad over stuff like this is a complete waste of my time.

I’ve mulled over her statement a hundred times. It’s good. It’s truth. Indeed, there are things to be sad about, but so much of what pulls at my emotions isn’t worth the time and energy I give it.

I love how Ecclesiastes 7:9 reads in The Message: “Don’t be quick to fly off the handle. Anger boomerangs. You can spot a fool by the lumps on his head.” Oh how I don’t want to be that fool! Hurt feelings are hard enough; but they’re made so much worse when we react negatively to them. We just end up hurting ourselves worse.

Is there something you’ve been sad or mad about that maybe is a waste of your time? Ask God to help you have a different perspective today.

Dear Lord, some days my emotions seem to steamroll right over me. Please help me reconnect with You and know that many times being sad or mad over stuff is a complete waste of my time. I’d rather focus on You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

REMEMBER

Sometimes being sad or mad over stuff is a complete waste of time.

REFLECT

How does reacting negatively to hurt feelings help in healing? How does it hinder? Recognize the difference in the two reactions.

RESPOND

Replace a moment of anger or sadness with praises to the Lord today.

POWER VERSES

James 1:19–21; Proverbs 14:29