During the last two years of his life, Seneca wrote a series of letters to his friend Lucilius, in which he gave his friend moral counsel. They are often published as “Letters from a Stoic” today.

Interestingly, Seneca was an advisor to Nero and very likely could see the pattern of untimely deaths among those nearest the emperor. So, the theme of the first letter was certainly not merely intellectual. In this letter, Seneca urges Lucilius to gather and save time, which is necessary because it is always flowing from us. “Make yourself believe the truth of my words,” he says, “that certain moments are torn from us, that some are gently removed, and others glide beyond our reach.”

“The most disgraceful kind of loss, however, is that due to carelessness.” Time truly is an ever-flowing river, and it cannot be halted or dammed. Time will inevitably slip away from us or be torn from us, but the person who wastes time loses it in the most shameful way possible.

Why is wasting time shameful?

Because death comes for us each day, little by little. Every day, hour, year that lies behind us is already in death’s hands. “Nothing, Lucilius, is our except time.” Time is our most precious (and only true possession), for it cannot be reclaimed when it is gone.

Seneca’s counsel is practical: use your time wisely, resist procrastination, and complete today’s work rather than relying on an uncertain tomorrow. He admits that he too wastes time but that he strives to be conscious and deliberate with how he spends it.

Christianity echoes much of Seneca’s advice. Psalm 90 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Paul also tells us to “walk carefully, making the best use of the time.” Scripture affirms that time is a precious gift of God and warns us against wasting it.

The difference between Seneca’s Stoicism and Christianity can be most clearly seen in their response to wasted time. Seneca’s advice is simply to make the best use of our time as early as possible in life. If you have already squandered much of your time, you can only move forward, aiming to do better. The proverb applies here: “When is the best time to plant a tree? Thirty years ago. When is the second best time? Right now.”

Christianity, however, offers a hope that Seneca did not possess. In Christ, we do not simply move on from previously wasted time; we are forgiven for our failure to properly steward the days that God has given us. More than that, we are empowered by the Spirit to redeem our remaining days, living them in the fear of the LORD and for the glory of Christ our Savior.

Let us, therefore, number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom and make the most of the time entrusted to us.