Never Sacrifice the Important for What seems to be Urgent
This may come as a shock but I am actually going to begin this directive with lyrics to a Pink Floyd song: Time
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Tired of lying around in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
And your young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
So, you run and you run to catch up with the sun but its sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way but you’re older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
Every year is getting shorter; never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over
Thought I’d something to say
Home, home, again, I like to be here when I can
When I come home and tired
It’s good to warm my bones beside the fire
Far away across the field
Tolling on the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spell
I just love some of the lyrics as they comment on our tendency to sacrifice the important for the urgent.
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day, fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
Time to kill today and 10 years go by like nothing
No one told you where to run, you missed the starting gun – but God has told us where to run
You’re older, shorter of breath and one day closer to death
And the older we get we affirm the truth of the line, ‘ever year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time.’
Now no one would classify Pink Floyd as prophets but this song echoes with all the earth that we should never sacrifice the important for that which seems to be urgent. Consider some of the verses of Scripture that speaks of the importance of redeeming the time.
Ephesians 5:18 – Making the most of our time, because the days are evil.
Psalm 90:12 – So teach us to number our days that we may present to you a heart of wisdom.
Ecclesiastes 12:1 – Remember also your creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in things.”
I Corinthians 7:31 – And those who use the world as though they did not make full use of it. For the form of this world is passing away.
Ephesians 5:15 – Therefore be careful how you walk not as unwise men but as wise.
The writer of Ecclesiastes describes a life continual sacrifice of the important in order to achieve that which seems to be urgent. He says it is continually worthless. In the end he landed on what is truly important: “Remember your creator in the days of your youth before the days of trouble come. Fear God and keep his commands for this is the whole duty of men.”
In contrast to Pink Floyd on time I invite you to join me in making this hymn our prayer:
Take time to be holy, speak out with the Lord
Abide in Him always, and feed on his word
Make friends of God’s children help those who are weak
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek
Take time to be holy, the world rushes on
Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shall be
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see
Take time to be holy, let him be thy guide
And run not before, Him, whatever betides
In joy or in sorrow still follow the Lord
And looking to Jesus still trust in his word
Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul
Each thought and each motive beneath His control
Thus, led by His Spirit to fountains of love
Thus, soon shall be fitted for service above.
©2026 David W. Drake, President, Renewed Hope, Inc.
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