God has not intended to leave us any “empty” time, nor any which might be said to be left to our own discretion, or for us to “lose”. The important thing is to know what He wants us to do with it. A general rule for the good use of time is to accustom oneself to live in a continual dependence on the Spirit of God, receiving from moment to moment whatever it pleases Him to give us.
We should refer to Him at once the doubts which we necessarily run into. We are to turn to Him in weakness, into which goodness slips from exhaustion. We are to call on Him and lift ourselves to Him when the heart gets swept away by material things, sees itself led imperceptibly off the path, or finds itself forgetting and drifting away from God.
We must divide ourselves so as not to neglect our own needs while devoting ourselves to those needs of others, and also not to neglect the needs of others while being engrossed in our own needs.
It is right to begin with the needs of mind and body, and to reserve enough hours for both… For the rest of the time, we must still examine thoroughly (1) the duties of the place in which we are; (2) the real good that can be done here; (3) and the tools which God gives for our success here.
My God makes all grace flow to me in abundance, so that in all things at all times, having all sufficiency in all that is needed, I abound to every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8).
I am Your workmanship, dear God, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which You prepared in advance for me to do (Ephesians 2:10).
Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and is profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
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