Redeeming Time VS doomscrolling

Redeeming the Time, For the Days Are Evil

A Sermon for Christians in the Age of Doom Scrolling
Text: Ephesians 5:15–17


“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”
INTRODUCTION: A GENERATION THAT NEVER STOPS SCROLLING

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,

We live in a generation that has more access to information than any generation before us, yet is more anxious, distracted, and spiritually dull than many before us.
Our hands are rarely idle. Our eyes are constantly fixed on glowing screens. Our minds are flooded with news, opinions, outrage, fear, entertainment, and endless comparisons.

We call it doom scrolling — endlessly consuming negative, alarming, or empty content, often without intention, without rest, and without spiritual fruit.

And the apostle Paul, writing nearly two thousand years ago, speaks directly into our time:


“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Paul does not say avoid the days — he says redeem the time within them.
I. WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT “THE DAYS ARE EVIL”?

Paul is not saying that every day is morally wicked in itself.
He is saying that the age is hostile to God, shaped by:


Distraction rather than devotion


Noise rather than stillness


Pleasure rather than holiness


Self rather than Christ
The days are evil because they steal from us what is most precious

Not money.
Not comfort.
But time.

Satan does not need to make Christians openly sinful if he can make them perpetually distracted.

He is content with:


Prayerless believers


Wordless Christians


Fruitless churchgoers


Busy souls with empty lamps

Doom scrolling is not just a habit — it is a spiritual erosion.
II. DOOM SCROLLING: THE MODERN DRAIN OF THE SOUL

Let us be honest before God.

Doom scrolling:


Feeds fear instead of faith


Fuels anger instead of love


Creates outrage instead of obedience


Fills the mind but empties the spirit
It is not neutral

Jesus said:


“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” (Matthew 6:22)

What we continually gaze upon eventually shapes:


Our emotions


Our desires


Our spiritual sensitivity

Many Christians say:


“I don’t have time to pray.”
“I don’t feel hunger for the Word.”
“I feel distant from God.”

Yet hours are spent scrolling — absorbing what does not heal, does not save, and does not sanctify.
III. REDEEMING THE TIME — WHAT DOES “REDEEM” MEAN?

The word redeem here means:


To buy back


To rescue from loss


To make the most of an opportunity

Time, once lost, cannot be recovered — but remaining time can be reclaimed.

Paul does not call believers to escape the world, but to live wisely within it.


“See then that ye walk circumspectly”
That word means: carefully, intentionally, awake

Christian living is not passive drifting — it is deliberate walking.
IV. HOW SHOULD CHRISTIANS LIVE IN THIS DIGITAL AGE?
1. From Mindless Consumption to Intentional Stewardship

Ask yourself:


Is this drawing me closer to Christ or dulling my spirit?


Is this informing me for prayer or intoxicating me with fear?


Is this helping me love God and people more?

Paul says:


“Not as fools, but as wise”

Wisdom is not knowing more —
Wisdom is choosing better.
2. Replace Scrolling with Seeking

Scripture never tells us merely to stop something — it calls us to replace it.


“Seek ye first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33)

Instead of endless scrolling:


Scroll through Scripture


Meditate on a Psalm


Pray through headlines instead of absorbing them


Sit quietly before God

Silence before God is not wasted time —
It is soil for spiritual growth.
3. Train the Soul to Be Still Again

The devil fears believers who can be still before God.


“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

Doom scrolling trains the mind to be restless.
Prayer trains the soul to be anchored.

If you cannot sit with God for five minutes without reaching for your phone, that is not personality — that is bondage of attention.

But Christ came to set captives free.
4. Use Technology as a Tool, Not a Master

Paul says:


“All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” (1 Corinthians 6:12)

The question is not:


Is it sinful?

The question is:


Is it ruling me?

Christians must reclaim lordship of time, placing Jesus back on the throne of daily rhythms.
V. UNDERSTANDING THE WILL OF THE LORD

Paul concludes:


“Be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”

God’s will is not primarily about:


Algorithms


Trends


Constant awareness

God’s will is:


Christ formed in you


Faith refined


Love expressed


Holiness pursued

The will of God is rarely discovered in noise —
It is discerned in attention, obedience, and surrender.
CONCLUSION: A CALL TO WAKEFULNESS

Beloved,

The days are evil not because darkness is strong —
But because light is often dimmed by distraction.

This generation does not lack information.
It lacks consecration.

Let us be a people who:


Redeem time instead of wasting it


Seek Christ instead of scrolling endlessly


Watch and pray rather than drift and consume


Live intentionally because eternity is real


“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)
FINAL EXHORTATION

Do not merely ask:


How much time did I scroll today?

Ask:


How much of Christ did I behold today?

Because what you behold, you become.

May the Lord restore holy focus, awaken spiritual hunger, and teach us to redeem the time — for the days are indeed evil, but Christ is still Lord.

Amen.