Time Wasters

Hi Y'all!

I recently read this list of ways in which we waste time composed by Richard Baxter. I was convicted while reading this list. One of my areas of greatest struggles is in not wasting the time God has given me. I pray that as you read you are blessed and convicted as I was. At the end of this post I have included a link to the full text which is from The Practical Works of Richard Baxter Vol. 3. I recommend that you go and read the full text.

Thief I: One of the greatest time-wasting sins consists of idleness or sloth.

Thief II: The next thief or time-waster is excess of sleep.

Thief III: The next thief or time-waster is an inordinate adorning of the body.

Thief IV: Another time-wasting thief is unnecessary pomp and curiosity in retinue, attendance, house furniture, provision and entertainments, together with excess of compliment and ceremony, and servitude to the humors and expectations of time-wasters.

Thief V: Another time-wasting sin is needless and tedious feastings, gluttony, and tippling. (Tippling – drinking)

Thief VI: Another time-waster is idle talk.

Thief VII: Another thief which by the aforesaid means would steal your time, is vain and sinful company.

Thief VIII: Another notorious time-wasting thief, is needless, inordinate sports and games, which are stigmatized by the offenders themselves, with the infamous name of pastimes, and masked with deceitful title of recreations;

Thief IX: Another time-wasting thief is excess of worldly cares and business.

Thief X: Another time-waster is vain ungoverned and sinful thoughts.

Thief XI: Another dangerous time-waster sin is the reading of vain books, play-books, romances, and feigned histories; and also unprofitable studies, undertaken but for vain-glory, or the pleasing of a carnal or curious mind.

Thief XII: But the master-thief that robs men of their time is an unsancitified, ungodly heart; for this loseth time whatever men are doing; because they never intend the glory of God.

List from http://www.puritanfellowship.com/

Full text available here (starts with the time wasters about half way down the page): http://books.google.com/books?id=Py5WAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA156&lpg=PA156 dq=Timewasters+by+Richard+Baxter.&source=bl&ots=PFBDEj5fWl&sig=DCCVtP6BM7BclJP1f6H2_cK_e5k&hl=en&ei=mrI_S9XtFs-vnge8-c37CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=&f=false