Beware idleness, a wastefulness of the time, gifts, and talents which the Lord has entrusted to you – different from rest and healthy leisure which intentionally seeks refreshment in the Lord, which glorifies Him. Beware frivolity, superficial or mediocre activity – business, a spirit of idleness trying to mask itself in meaningless talk or activity. The great mystic and Doctor of the Church, St. Teresa of Avila, cites the frivolity of her youth as being an impediment to her growth in the spiritual life – she regretted giving herself over to reading novels which did not profit her soul as a child, and then vanity as an adolescent. Even as a young nun, these same tendencies caused her to live out her vocation in a mediocre way – regularly wasting time in the parlor of the convent, receiving visitors, and engaging in superficial conversation.
Were it not for the grace of God leading her to conversion, we might be without great spiritual works such as The Way of Perfection, The Book of Her Life, and The Interior Castle. The reform of the Carmelite order and the establishment of convents across Europe would not have happened. Without cooperating in this reform, St. John of the Cross might have been spared persecution, but we would have lost some of the great fruits of his suffering – The Spiritual Canticle, The Ascent, and The Dark Night. Generations of Carmelites since the 1500s would be lacking the guidance of these spiritual giants, including another Doctor of the Church, St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897).
What glory do you deny the Lord and so many other souls while you content yourself to squander what has been entrusted to you – allowing yourself to be seduced by some Earthly pleasure? Do you give yourself over to video games? Television? Sports? Work? Gluttony? Lust? Seeking acclaim? Superficial relationships or activity?
All of creation has been made good by God (Genesis 1: 31) and is meant to be a participation in the Life and Goodness of God. But apart from God, all is vanity (Ecclesiastes 1: 2), we are nothing, and we accomplish nothing (John 15:5).