One Reason I'm Excited for the Time Change
This morning, I stumbled across an article about spiritual disciplines and daylight saving time. In it, Glenna Marshall makes a compelling point that I’ve been pondering over the past few weeks: daylight saving time is the perfect time to start waking up earlier. For me, there’s always a secret longing in my soul for the shorter days, earlier evenings, and darker mornings. It’s a secret longing because I rarely talk to people who look forward to the sun setting at 5:30 each night. It’s a true longing because I love slowing down earlier in the day, lighting oil lamps, and spending time with my family before we head to bed early. Plus, those Friday night bonfires are amazing!
In her article, Glenna says: “When we ‘fall back’ in autumn, we ‘gain’ an hour, so to speak, which most of us earmark for an extra bit of sleep. However, I’ve learned that the end of daylight saving is the best time to begin the habit of reading the Bible first thing in the morning.” I completely agree with her. If we’re already used to waking up at 6:30 am, when the clocks roll back, we can easily wake up at 5:30 am and gain an extra hour each morning. The best part is that we don’t have the added sleep inertia—that super groggy feeling we get when we wake up an hour earlier. Our body clock is already set, and with minimal effort, we can keep it that way.
You may be thinking, “I was excited about getting an extra hour of sleep!” I’m a huge proponent of aiming to get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night to take care of your mind, body, and soul. And if you need the extra sleep, then it’s a perfect time to get it. However, if you set your clock back on Saturday night and get to bed at your normal time, you’ll still get plenty of sleep—unless your current sleep schedule is not sufficient.
But I want to offer you something else to think about. This could be a game changer for our devotional lives if we use the time wisely. If you’re able to wake up an hour earlier and spend time with the Lord, will you regret it?
I’ve never met a Christian who said they spend too much time with the Lord. I haven’t encountered a Christian who says, “My devotional life is perfect, and I don’t need to spend more time reading and meditating on Scripture.” Perhaps you’re the anomaly. I’m definitely not! If anything, an extra hour each morning would allow me to pray for people in my local church, read a few books I’ve been wanting to read, or meditate on some passages in the Bible that I haven’t thought about in a while.
Even if we don’t use the entire hour to improve our devotional lives, we could certainly incorporate some new spiritual disciplines during that time. Maybe you’ve always wanted to start journaling. Perhaps you’ve wanted to memorize a long passage of Scripture or a book of the Bible. Do you long for extended times of silence and solitude to quiet your mind and soul and be still before the Lord (Ps. 46:10)? An extra 30 to 60 minutes a day would be perfect to give them a try. An extra hour per day could change your life for the next fifty years. If you develop a strong morning routine in this season, it can pay dividends for decades.
Instead of rolling your eyes at another time change, take some time to give thanks to the Lord. Ask Him to help you see the blessedness of rising early and preparing your heart to offer Him praise (Proverbs 3:5). Consider the benefits of revamping or updating your morning routine to spend it with the Lord. You’re not more loved by God simply because you spend more time doing devotional activities. The aim is not to check a box or merely go through the motions. Eternal life is knowing God (John 17:3). Give yourself to knowing God more.
Oh, and don’t forget to set your clock back!
Leave a comment and let me know some ways you plan to use your extra hour each morning.
