Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
3 11 2026

Audio Version

A Lenten Wake-Up Call – All the Wasted Time

Before we begin, let me ask you something that might feel a little uncomfortable.

If someone followed you around this past week and wrote down how you spent every hour—every scroll on your phone, every television show, every random distraction—what would that list reveal about what you truly love?

Not what you say you love.
Not what you believe you should love.

But what your time proves you love.
Because the truth is simple, and it’s a truth none of us can escape: we always find time for the things that matter most to us.
So when we say we don’t have time for God… what are we really saying?

Today is not about guilt. It’s about honesty. And Lent has always been a season for exactly that—an honest return to the Father.

“Oh, but I don’t have time to spend with God reading the Bible.”

Would you mind writing down how much time this past week was spent on things that were not relevant to your work, your family, or your walk with Christ? I suspect the answer might be very telling—if not a little embarrassing. At some point in our lives, we must face the truth about our time. We must become accountable for how we spend it, for our speech, our idols, our dreams, and our aspirations.

Don’t you agree that when two, three, or four hours a day drift away with no real purpose, it reveals something deeper? It reveals our values. And until we repent of that wasted time, those values will never lead us anywhere holy.

So after that honest reflection, tell me again that you don’t have any time to spend with the only true God—the One who created you with a holy purpose: to serve Him, to serve His church, and to be obedient to the teachings of a God who loved you so much that He died so you could be one with Him for eternity.

The truth is simple.
We spend time on what we love.

And when something begins to eclipse our love and affection for Jesus Christ, the Bible calls it an idol—a stumbling block. It slowly turns us into lukewarm Christians at best. And you know what Jesus said about the lukewarm.

(Revelation 3:16)
“So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

It’s Lent. Maybe this is the perfect time to practice a little electronic fasting. Let’s admit it—we are addicted. But what if we offered some of that time back to Jesus as a sacrifice?

Because the truth is this: we have always had Him with us. We have never been alone. We simply haven’t tuned ourselves to His voice… or chosen the road that is less traveled.

All the time… all the wasted years.

Years waiting for a sign from God, only to realize the sign was there all along.

(Colossians 1:27)
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

While reflecting on this, an old song from 1976 came to mind—All the Time by Barry Manilow. Now I know it’s not exactly the standard Christian hymn that melts our hearts, but the lyrics struck me with a clarity I had never felt before. It made me think about how much time we give away for nothing. All the wasted moments that could have been spent drawing nearer to God.

How many examples do we need before we heed the call of Father God?

He is so loving, so forgiving, so just and merciful. Yet so often we behave like the stubborn Israelites of the Old Testament.

Or like the prodigal son in Luke 15.

After wasting his inheritance and his time, the prodigal finally recognized his error. He returned to his father and humbled himself, willing to become a servant rather than a son. His rebellion was reversed the moment he repented. (Luke 15:20)
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him.”

Are we really so different from him?

But here is the beautiful truth: even when he was far away, he was never alone. His father was always waiting. Always watching the road. Always ready to welcome him home.

And the same is true for you. No matter what cloud you’re standing in, you are not alone.

Think about the city of Nineveh in Jonah chapter 3. When they heard the warning of God’s judgment, the entire city believed. They fasted, put on sackcloth, and turned from their evil ways. (Jonah 3:10)
“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He relented.”

How many examples do we need of His mercy? Because if we are honest, what we deserve is His justice.

Sometimes repentance requires changing our habits, even changing our company. It may mean stepping away from media, environments, or friendships that constantly lead us toward temptation.

But repentance is not just saying “no.”

It is saying yes to Jesus.

Come home. Start today.

When Jesus’ disciples could not cast out a demon, He explained why. (Matthew 17:20–21)
“Because of your little faith… this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

There is another level of spiritual discipline. It requires us to move beyond the milk of God’s Word and begin consuming the meat of it. Prayer and fasting.

Repentance is not a bad word. In fact, it is the key that unlocks the door back home to the Father. It means becoming genuinely sorrowful for the ways we have sinned against God—not just in action, but even in thought.

Jesus said that adultery is not only the act itself, but the moment it takes root in the imagination.

(Matthew 5:28) “Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

That is why scripture tells us to take every thought captive. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

This means actively monitoring and aligning our minds with the truth of God’s Word instead of allowing worldly or destructive thoughts to dominate us.

Because spiritual warfare is ultimately a battle for the mind. We demolish arguments and prideful thoughts by standing on the truth of Scripture.

Don’t you believe His voice is calling you to fight for your spiritual life?
Scripture tells us that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father,
making intercession for you even now.

While you’re deciding whether you’re all in or not.

I must confess something to you. While writing this message, I listened to that song nearly ten times. And it convicted me deeply. It forced me to face all the time I have squandered.

All the wasted time.

Please… listen carefully.

It’s Lent. This is exactly the moment the prophet Joel spoke about. (Joel 2:12–13)
“Return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.
Rend your heart and not your garments.”

In ancient times people would tear their clothes as a sign of grief. But God said the real transformation must happen inside the heart.

(Ecclesiastes 3:1,7)
“There is a time for everything… a time to tear and a time to mend.” Lent is not about outward ritual. It is about inward transformation. It is about turning back to a gracious and merciful God with all your heart.

So let me close with this.

Lent should move us beyond simply acting sorrowful. It should allow God to truly transform us. It is a sacred season for reflection—a time to lay our shortcomings at the foot of the cross.

Stop for a moment and think about all the time we have flushed down the drain of things that will never matter in eternity.

Jesus is not waiting to punish you… He is eager to forgive you.
Right now He sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for believers.

(Hebrews 7:25)
“Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.”

He is advocating for you as a High Priest who understands your struggles and has secured your salvation. Even now He is defending you—against Satan, against the lies spoken over your life, and even against the destructive words we sometimes speak about ourselves.

You are not alone.

Yes, Jesus died. That was His sacrifice.
But the greater truth is this:
His victory is that He is risen.
His authority is that He sits at the right hand of the Father.
And His current ministry is that He is making intercession for you.

Right now.

So let’s stop wasting our time.

And let’s go home to the Father.

All in… or nothing.

What is one specific step I can take this week to return more fully to the Father—whether through prayer, Scripture, fasting, or removing a distraction that keeps me from walking closer with Him?

Do you know someone who needs to hear this? Pass this lesson and future devotions to someone, with this Signup link:  http://eepurl.com/i_nlb2  My website to view past devotions is https://fearlesslycourageous.com