To enjoy leisure well, then, we need to understand God’s reign over leisure and his purposes for it. First, Christians must recognize that all of our time comes under the Lordship of Christ, whether we’re working or recreating. God doesn’t care just about our work; he cares about our time. Even in our free time, we’re responsible to God for our use of it. We don’t have a pass to do whatever we want. God doesn’t care just about our work; he cares about our time.

Everyone loves free time, the time we have left after working and doing the things we have to do (sleep, bathe, do laundry, take care of the kids).

“Free time” is when we can finally do what we want. No one is telling us what to do; no one is demanding our attention. We can give our attention gladly to the things we love, or we can set leisure aside and keep working to get what we want. Whatever we decide, we’re in charge.

We feel free.

THREE PROBLEMS WITH ‘FREE TIME’

This is our culture’s conception of leisure, but should Christians think this way? Theologian J. I. Packer identifies three problems with contemporary leisure practice. The first is idolatry. Some people worship their work, while others worship their leisure activities—whether vacations, sports, hobbies, music, gardening, or reading. Instead of serving the Creator, people use their free time to serve and worship created things (Rom. 1:25).

The second problem is hedonism, where pleasure is pursued as life’s supreme goal. Many Christians don’t question the assumption that free time is wholly for pleasure. Packer writes: “Today the love of luxury and the pull of pleasure are more intensely felt than at any time in Christendom. . . . The quest for pleasure—intellectual, sensual, aesthetic, gastronomic, alcoholic, narcissistic—is one aspect of . . . Western decadence.”

The third is utilitarianism, where free time is valued only for making us more productive. According to this mindset, the purpose of leisure is to “re-create” a person to work more productively. Christians buy into this view when they become so obsessed with a strong work ethic that they succumb to workaholism. They overlook the biblical teaching that God “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Tim. 6:17). Leisure time is necessary for this enjoyment and, as such, it has intrinsic value apart from how it impacts our work.

Utilitarianism is probably the most prevalent leisure-related problem among Christians. Protestant Christianity has traditionally promoted a robust work ethic, leading evangelical Christians to emphasize work over leisure and activity over rest. Packer writes: “Modern Christians tend to make busyness their religion. We admire and imitate, and so become Christian workaholics, supposing that the busiest believers are always best.”

Many people find it difficult to relax, and they actually boast that they’re busy and overworked. As Karl Johnson recently documented, our society is plagued by time poverty, time stress, a frenetic pace of life, overwork, work idolatry, and overconsumption.

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