Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.

Hear, O seekers of truth, the voice of Theophrastus, the disciple of Aristotle and the sage of old, who declared: “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” These words, though simple in sound, thunder with eternal wisdom. For gold may be gained, silver mined, kingdoms conquered, and treasures hoarded—but time once given cannot be reclaimed. Every coin spent may return; every jewel lost may be found again; but an hour wasted is gone forever, swallowed by the river of eternity.

The origin of this saying lies in the Greek tradition of philosophy, where men like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle taught that the purpose of life is not mere wealth, but the cultivation of the soul. Theophrastus, inheritor of their wisdom, saw clearly that time was the true currency of human existence. Unlike riches or honors, time is equal for all—king and beggar alike are granted but a portion. The greatness of a life is measured not by how much time one possesses, but by how one spends it.

Consider the tale of Alexander the Great, who conquered vast lands in the span of but three decades. His empire stretched across continents, and yet at the age of thirty-two, time abandoned him. Though he possessed wealth and power beyond measure, his life was cut short, and he left behind an unfinished vision. What use was his treasure when the measure of his days was spent? His story teaches us that power without time is hollow, and that the true wealth of man lies in how each moment is lived.

So too, reflect upon the life of Abraham Lincoln. He was not born to riches, nor did he seek power for its own sake. Yet he spent his time in labor, in study, in service, in the pursuit of justice. By giving his years to the preservation of the Union and the abolition of slavery, he transformed fleeting moments into eternal legacy. He had fewer years than many, yet he spent them wisely, and thus his influence outlives centuries. Here again is Theophrastus’s truth: the value of life lies in how time is spent.

The meaning of this teaching is therefore twofold. First, it warns against waste. The idle man who squanders his hours in vanity or distraction becomes impoverished, no matter his wealth. Second, it exalts purposeful living. To spend time on thought, on learning, on friendship, on service, on love—these are investments that yield eternal harvest. Theophrastus reminds us that every choice is a transaction with time, and only the wise know how to spend it well.

The lesson is clear: guard your hours as a miser guards his treasure. Do not sell them cheaply to idleness, bitterness, or folly. Instead, spend them on that which enriches the soul and serves the world. Let your time be spent in study to grow wise, in kindness to grow good, in action to grow just, and in love to grow eternal. For when your final hour comes, it is not the length of your life that will matter, but the worth of how you have spent it.

Practical counsel stands before you. Rise each day with the awareness that your hours are coins of priceless value. Do not throw them into the hands of distraction. Dedicate a portion to learning, another to service, another to the bonds of family and friendship. Spend them as though each hour were your last, and in so doing, you will live a life of richness, even if your years be few.

So let the words of Theophrastus be carved upon your heart: “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” Treasure it, spend it wisely, and your life will shine like a lamp that burns bright, not because it burned long, but because it gave its light fully in the time it was given.