I saw a headline recently that caught my eye. It read something along the lines of, “sunset anxiety is trending”...I was not aware of such a concept. If “sunset anxiety” reaches my 5-year-old daughter’s lexicon I worry she’ll have an advanced approach to express being afraid of the dark. What does the darkness bring that strikes such fear? For my kindergartener, it's the certainty of monsters lurking outside and under beds. Newfound promoters of “sunset anxiety” would describe the process of a rise in anxiety symptoms as one’s energy and motivation fades along with the earth’s natural light source. More scientifically, circadian rhythms and cyclical hormone changes impact how we feel at the end of the day.
“Exhausted but restless.” “Well, today didn’t go as planned.” “Will tomorrow be a brighter day?” “So much to do, so little time.” Yeah, I’ve been there and had those thoughts and feelings. Yet, these things have a common element: time or more specifically how I perceive the time I have. Call it sunset anxiety or the boogie-man but all are likely to experience some kind of unease when we let time control us.
An article from Christian Leadership Alliance entitled The Tyranny of Time by R. Scott Rodin details how God’s gift of time has been distorted in our humanly flawed society. If you end most days reflecting on how little time you had, perhaps, it’s worth challenging how you perceive the time God has granted you. No day would feel like a failure if at the end you know you used your time intentionally to honor God (with word and deed) and to share the Lord’s grace by building up the people you encounter. Rodin offers the following suggestions:
- Surrender your time back to God. Lay aside the temptation to play the owner and ask God how He would have you invest His gift of time for His kingdom. And then obey!
- Start each day with this prayer: “Lord, you have given me enough time to complete everything you’ve called me to do today. Guide me every step of the way and help me invest your time today with anticipation and joy.”
- Ask God to give you the ability to value quiet time with Him more highly than any other time in your day. This spiritual battle can only be won through the power of the Holy Spirit.
In an attempt to leave you with a verse of encouragement and ease any future anxiety brought on by time or darkness, remember the words of Isaiah 60:20:
Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. (Isaiah 60:20 NIV)
Use the following link to read the full Christian Leadership Alliance article and learn more about R. Scott Rodin: The Tyranny of Time By R. Scott Rodin
- Joe Davis, Director of Online and Graduate Enrollment, York University