Helpful Tip on Time Management
Of all the things in the world that give each of us a competitive advantage over others (intelligence, discernment, energy, passion, gifting, vision, work ethic, etc.), there is one thing that equalizes everyone: time. Everyone has 24 hours in a day and that’s it. So how do you spend your time?
And does the Bible have anything to say about it? You bet it does. Like your talent and treasure, time is a stewardship issue. God calls us to be good stewards of everything we have in life. After all it’s all His and He graciously gives everything to us including time. None of us have the slightest idea when we will draw our last breathe, only God does. At that point in time God will call us into account for our lives spent on earth. (Romans 14:12)
Scripture also exhorts us to make “the best use of time because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16) You see there is a spiritual war occurring between God and the devil. The devil wants to distract us and keep our focus off the Lord so that we will not do His work, but the devil’s.
Those of you who have read Steven Covey’s work know his suggestion of running your life not by what is urgent, but what is important. Urgent and the non-important drain away time from the important things of life…like going to your kid’s soccer practice or game, or deciding not to spend time with the Lord because something more urgent or less taxing has come up. When the urge arises to forgo the important for the unimportant, resist it! Ask the Lord to help you maintain your focus.
Lastly, God designed us to industrious, not lazy. From cultivating the garden in Genesis to Paul exhortation to his friend Timothy to finish the race, God has wired us to keep busy doing the important stuff of life. Contrast that to Proverbs 26:14 (ESV), “As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed.” Though it is a vivid picture, it is not a flattering one.
We don’t know when we will leave this earth, but what we do know is that every second is a gift our gracious Father has given to do the important stuff in life. Let’s not get overwhelmed and side tracked with the non-important stuff.
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By David Zook, Pastor Morningside Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Phoenix, AZ.
Physical for the Christian Soul 