A few years ago, my family moved from Texas to Illinois. I stepped back from a career and full-time job, anticipating that I would homeschool our daughter. I did the research, chose a curriculum I thought would fit our family, and even called ahead to get connected with a homeschool group in our new area. All the while, God had a different plan.

While I intended to spend my days doing the meaningful work of educating our grade-schooler, my husband and I received information about a Christian school nearby. The recommendation came from a trusted source. The more we looked into the school, the more we liked it—and the more we sensed God’s blessing on this private-school path instead.

Four years later, my daughter is still thriving there—as she would happily testify herself. But this left me without the meaningful pull on my time that I had anticipated.

I will admit that I floundered a bit without a clear aim. After college, I worked—mostly part-time while my daughter was young, and then more consistently when she was in school in Texas. Even during in-between seasons, I usually filled my time with volunteer work or meaningful projects.

Yet more recently, I have found myself in an unexpected season of free time. In this season, I have wrestled with the question: Can I still honor God with my time and talents when so much of my life feels unfilled?

Some people will experience long seasons of free time like mine, while others encounter only small pockets of it. Regardless of its length, free time can be a meaningful place of formation as we learn to recognize God’s gracious presence within it. Alongside rest and simple enjoyment, I have found that God’s presence in my free time becomes especially evident through the fundamental practices of prayer and Scripture reading.

Using Time for the Lord

In this season, I have learned to pray differently. I have learned the pleasure of taking small moments throughout the day to bring my heart before the Lord. Using my free time for prayer has not only fostered closeness with Him; it has reminded me that He is gracious. He was never too busy for me in my earlier years of working and volunteering. And He is not busy now; He is available.

He does not limit His availability to business hours. He is not bound by time as I once was by my schedule. I do not need an appointment. In my spare time, I have come to see that the economy of God’s “time” is open and endless. He gives me His ear. From His place in eternity, He gives me His attention. He is present each time I come before Him.

In this way, my free time mirrors His abundant availability. I am not alone while others seem more occupied than I am; here, prayer can flourish. Of course, He is just as present in busy seasons, but during this slower period, I have especially enjoyed discovering again that He is there each time I come—now more often—to Him.

Alongside learning to pray, I have learned to take in larger portions of God’s Word. Outside of Bible college—when we read through the entire Bible—I had never completed the Bible in a year. Perhaps one day. But what I have done is sit with larger sections of Scripture than before.

In the past, my time in Scripture felt more scattered. Now, I have the margin to linger. I can sit with the Bible and take more of it in.

And what has been returned to me? Manifold blessing.

I have grown in appreciation for how the whole Bible nourishes me. Whether reading an Old Testament prophet, a narrative passage, or poetry, I am reminded that all of God’s Word is for all of me. Slowing down has given me space to open myself more fully before the Scriptures—to become less guarded, less hurried, more receptive before the Word.

Free time loosens our grip on urgency.

We are no longer inwardly bracing for the next task or deadline. This creates a unique opportunity to bring our whole selves to Scripture and allow it to reach deeper corners of our hearts. Slow time invites slow work, as God uses His Word to speak to places within us we might otherwise overlook.

If you find yourself in a free season, allowing it to soften you—or to loosen your grasp on constant productivity—may open a new way of breathing in the Scriptures. It is not always possible, I know. But God is there. And His Word is available when you are ready.

Using Talents For the Lord

Beyond using my time for the Lord and allowing this season to shape me theologically, I have also wrestled with what it means to use my gifts during this downtime. I will be honest: Not much that is lasting has opened up. It has often seemed as though God is teaching me to rest—and to receive joy.

I have been learning to accept myself before the Lord without work—and without Him assigning me work. Even my responsibilities at home take far less time than I once expected. Instead of meeting deadlines or keeping a baby content, as in former years, I have had to confront the reality that productivity cannot be what defines my days.

I will never forget a text from a dear friend who knew I was struggling with my lack of visible accomplishment. She reminded me that simply being loved by the Lord was itself a worthy way to spend my time.

She was right.

So I have accepted this season and allowed myself joy. I have spent more time with family. I have explored potential hobbies—I am currently in a reading and crocheting phase. I have done some long-needed interior emotional work. I have spent time outdoors when possible. And more.

Using my talents for the Lord has, in this season, looked less like output and more like receiving the gift of time itself with the rest and reflection it invites.

Fruitfulness is not only measured by accomplishment; it is also formed within the inner spirit. By the Lord’s power, He has been refining mine in the quiet. I believe that refinement is of great value to Him. And in turn, it becomes a gift to others. As the often-quoted sentiment suggests, our personal holiness may be the greatest gift we give—especially to our immediate family. Perhaps the most transformative realization this season has yielded is this: Rest reflects the posture of my salvation. I did not achieve my salvation. The work was accomplished entirely by the Lord.

Using time and talent for Him does not always require visible busyness or outward ambition. Sometimes, in certain seasons or quiet pockets of time, faithfulness looks like renewed communion with an ever-available God—and quiet glimpses inward that reassure us we are still being shaped into the likeness of our beautiful Lord Jesus.

Author Bio:

Lianna Davis is an evangelical Christian writer and a graduate of Moody Bible Institute (BA in Women’s Ministry) and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MATS). She has authored a book on baby loss, a Bible study on the book of Jude, and has contributed to a book by her grandfather on missions. Illinois is home, where she lives with her husband and second daughter; her firstborn enjoys glory. You can find Lianna at liannabdavis.com.

Additional Resources:

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