The Dripping Faucet

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 12-13; Ephesians 5:15-17

“I used to look forward to Saturdays before we moved here,” Dad said as he crawled out from under the sink. “Since we began restoring this old house to its original splendor, it seems like there are never enough hours in the day to fix everything!”

“Well, now that the garbage disposal is fixed, you can move on to the next thing on the list,” Gwen said with a grin.

Dad groaned. “Ugh, the list! What’s next on that thing?”

Gwen laughed. “The faucet in the upstairs bathroom. It’s leaking.”

Dad got to his feet. “We probably should have fixed that first. I read somewhere that a dripping faucet can waste more than two thousand gallons of water over the course of a year.”

“Really?” asked Gwen.

“Yep,” said Dad. “It reminds me of my life.” He laughed at Gwen’s surprised expression. “The passing of time is something like a dripping faucet. As the water drips out, it doesn’t seem like much, but slowly and surely it adds up to a lot. That happens with time too. Our minutes and days don’t seem like they add up to much, but they do—one day you’ll wake up all old and wrinkled like me and realize how valuable all those minutes were!”

“You’re not old and wrinkled,” said Gwen. She grinned. “Not that much, anyway.”

Dad laughed. “Maybe not, but it’s important to remember that we need to use our time wisely. It goes by fast.”

“Yeah, it does,” said Gwen. “I’ve been so busy with school and helping fix the house, I haven’t had time for anything else!”

“Yes, you’ve definitely been working hard,” said Dad. “But we also need to use our time for things besides work. Playing, resting, enjoying friends and family, and spending time with Jesus are all just as important. The time we have in this life is limited, which is why we need to use it wisely. When we remember that Jesus saved us so we could live forever with Him, it helps us use the time we have now to get to know Him better and share His love with others.” Dad picked up his toolbox. “Tell you what—let’s go fix that faucet and then see how big a snowman we can build in the front yard. I think we’ve spent enough time on the list for one day.”

– Mike Dize

How About You?

How do you use the time God gives you? Today’s verse tells us to use our time wisely. Though it can seem like each minute or hour doesn’t matter much, it adds up quickly, and one day our time on this earth will come to an end. As you make time for work, play, and rest and spend time with God and other people, look forward to the promise of eternal life with Jesus and use the time you have now to point others to Him.

Today’s Key Verse:
Ephesians 5:15-16 Be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. (NLT)

Today’s Key Thought:

Use time wisely