I recently read a study that considers church and prayer as leisure time.
Go figure. I can’t. But it sparked this post.
You know, there’s a study and a report about everything. You name it; they have it.
They know how we live, what we eat, and how long we play, and sleep. Who are these data crunchers? Who are these human habit busters? They are raiders of the good, bad, and ugly about us. They search the mother cloud for bits and pieces about our life.
Believe it or not, they group and statisticize everything we do.
They know how long we stream and screen on the cell phone, PC, and TV. Before you receive your two-all-beef patty, they know If you added cheese or not. These collectors of what, why, where, and how we do things, also record when we do them.
This particular study, The American Time Use Survey (ATUS), analyzes daily activities journaled over 24 hours. Thousands of Americans 15 years and older participate in the survey and provide the detailed accounts.
And the ATUS tells all. The American Time Use Survey divides the 24-hour going-ons as leisure time or non-leisure time.
According to this study, non-leisure time includes: sleeping, family time, working, school, cooking, caregiving, and self-care. Self-care includes feeding our face, hygiene, sleeping, and the such.
I have no problem with this time grouping. These are essential life-sustaining and support functions. I agree sleeping and eating are non-leisure time. Without sleep, I’m worthless, and without food, I’m worse.
The survey lists the following as leisure time: socializing, watching TV, internet browsing, attending recreational and sport activities, volunteering, praying, church worship, relaxing, and resting.
Wait a moment. Something looks out of place. Prayer and worship are leisure time? The definition of leisure time includes spare or free time.
These two essentials in my life aren’t leisure time. Anything dutiful or obligatory isn’t leisure.
As a child, my leisure time was chore-less or playtime: playing hopscotch, hide-and-seek, and other games. But missing church or neglecting my prayers wasn’t an option or a part of leisure time. Church time wasn’t playtime, and playtime wasn’t church time.
As an adult, church and prayer are even more critical and revered.
Like 96% of the people surveyed, I watch TV, surf the internet, and socialize with friends during leisure time. I also relax and rest. But what if there’s no time left after non-leisure doings? Not having time to pray or worship God is not having time to care for oneself.
Quality of life begins with prayer and worship, not with food and work.
Let me tell you, Mr. and Ms. ATUS, food isn’t as important as you think. Suppose you don’t have an appetite to eat. Worship is more important than food. You can consume the Word when the body is unable to intake food.
Luke 12:23 (KJV) says. “The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.”
And prayer is always in order. There’s a thankful prayer for a new day. There’s a grateful prayer before a meal. And there’s a guardian prayer at bedtime. And you can sprinkle more prayers in between these.
Praying and worshipping are a part of self-care.
And we pray because we’re unable to keep or take care of ourselves. God keeps us all.
Worship isn’t a left-over piece of the time pie. Neither is prayer. Both are a “must do.”
Non-leisure time includes church and prayer.