It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones. -Psalm 127:2 I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless-like chasing the wind. - Ecclesiastes 1:14 I got my first part-time job when I was seventeen years old, working for a computer store in the small town where I grew up. The owner of the store was a charismatic man named Scott who was, from my limited teenage perspective, very worldly and well-traveled. He was an intelligent, larger-than-life character with strong opinions about almost everything, so I enjoyed the quiet Saturday afternoons we worked together when we would take a break from the world of computers and he would teach me about how the "world" really worked. He would typically start his afternoon lesson with a phrase like, "Here's something they won't teach you in school" or "Let me explain something that almost no one understands". His favorite lesson, the one I remember most after all these years, was to "Work hard and play hard". He explained that most people waste their life by working half-heartedly at menial jobs for eight hours a day and then coming home to nothing more than television and sleep, only to repeat the entire process the next day. Eventually, they wake up and realize they are past the prime of their lives and have not accomplished anything of consequence. For Scott, this was the epitome of a wasted life. He cautioned me to make every second count and never to waste time on anything that wasn't either hard work or serious leisure. His life consisted of long days with almost no time-off for several months, followed by two weeks in the Caribbean at an all-inclusive resort. Occasionally, he would fly to New York or London or would spend a weekend gambling in Las Vegas, but you would never catch him watching television, going out to a movie or hanging out with friends. For Scott, it was all or nothing. He was either working hard or living the good life. Anything else was a waste of time. His philosophy resonated deep within that impressionable teenager and I vowed that I would live a life just like his. For years, I tried to emulate his style, working long hours, taking one course after another, accepting new contracts until I was inundated, all the while refusing any leisure unless it was expensive and impressive. If I took a break from work, even for a few moments, I could feel internal pressure commanding me back to work. The entire time, I could hear Scott's voice in my head rationalizing and urging me, saying, "No one understands this but us. We are the only ones who are living the good life." Except, I realize now, it was never really Scott's voice; it was the voice of the Enemy. It was no life at all. I don't blame Scott, since he fell into the same trap as I did and he believed the same lies about what life is supposed to be about. Fifteen years later, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I see the "work hard play hard" philosophy for what it really is - a perversion of a deep truth. Every successful lie the Enemy tells us is effective because it contains some truth, and the truth in Scott's philosophy is that it really is very important that we make our time on Earth count. The lie is that a good life has anything to do with fourteen hour work days or luxurious vacations. Living a good life is about service to and relationships with God, our family and our community. I have seen firsthand how the "work hard, play hard" mentality shatters all kinds of relationships. In practical terms, if you are living your life this way then every second of every day is accounted for. From the moment you awaken to the moment you fall asleep, you are working or learning. Everything else is an interruption. When it comes to friends and family, you are inflexible, unavailable and unapproachable. Unless the person is a business associate or is accompanying you on your next vac