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Outline revised for December 2003
How big is the issue of time management?
Where is our time needed?
- Church, school, work, rest, Scripture, prayer, marriage, family, friends
Where is our time needed most?
- For the advancement of God's kingdom?
What do you have a hard time finding time for?
Balancing our time
We need to prioritize by following Jesus' example. We never read in the Bible of Jesus hurrying or rushing through the day, or working continuously day and night without proper refreshment or rest. Often the big difference between one person and another is how they spend their time.
The Biblical Order Of Priorities
- 1st - your personal relationship with God
- 2nd - your family (1. spouse, 2. children)
- 3rd - your Christian ministry (church)
- 4th - your job
Setting priority to the relationships in your life helps to further define what is important and what falls into secondary levels of importance. For the sake of brevity, let's look at the first two priorities on this list. The first is easy, Matthew 6:33 instructs us to seek what is of God and all other things will take care of themselves. The second item is so important to having a strong home life, one that will support your ministry as the years progress. Putting the proper attention to nurturing your relationship with your wife and family will ensure an awesome testimony. There is no stronger way for the devil to discourage a leader in the church than to see his family crumbling.
Living by your priorities, not others' pressure
It's pretty safe to say that God does not want us to live by pressure, and the idea that something needs to be done, doesn't neccesarily mean you're the one to do it. Once you've established your priorities and developed a weekly schedule around them, begin to analyze new activities with this list. Ask yourself: Does this activity fit within my priority structure? Should I re-work my priorities to fit this new opportunity?
It takes time and prayer to develop priorities; remember to keep in mind the gifts the Lord has given to you. Don't allow others to set your priorities. You alone are responsible before God for how you use your time.
Developing A Weekly Schedule
In maintaining a weekly schedule, Godly priorities result in a pattern in your daily living. Crises will arise, but the beauty of scheduling these important activities is that they will get done on a consistent basis. Not following a regular schedule of Godly activities allows the inevitable crisis to put you further behind in doing what is the will of God in your life. Here is a sample schedule:
| Time | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|
| 6-7 | | Get up & devotions | |
| 7-8 | Get up | Breakfast | Get up |
| | Devotions | Commute to work | Devotions |
| 8-9 | Breakfast | Work | Family breakfast |
| 10-12 | Church | Work | Shopping |
| 12-1 | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch & work Bible study | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch |
| 1-2 | | Work | Work around house |
| 2-3 | | Work | |
| 3-4 | Church | Work | |
| 4-5 | | Work | |
| 5-6 | Dinner with family and friends | Commute home | |
| 6-7 | Dinner & family time |
| 7-9 | Visiting | Misc. work | Bible study prep | Bible study group | | Family night | Take spouse out |
| 10-11 | Read | With spouse | |
| 11-12 | Read/Sleep |
Making better use of time
Christians are particularly susceptible to the devil when it comes to the issue of time. If Satan can fool us into making bad uses of our time, he is being successful in minimizing our effectiveness for the Lord and His Church. For the person wanting to mentor and disciple along with helping the Church to grow, time becomes an important issue. Here are some principles to help us be clear on the issue of time:
- All men are created equal with respect to time. No one really has more or less time, there are 24 hours in the day for everyone. The difference is in how we use our time; sometimes we are tempted to come up with excuses of having less time to cover our bad time management.
- We will always have enough time to do God's will. Time problems occur when we try to do more than God's will for our own lives. This principle should be a red flag in our minds whenever we find ourselves overwhelmed and unable to accomplish all that we are charged with doing. "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace." - 1 Corinthians 14:33
- Time is lost on the smaller things first. It is said that we lose minutes before we lose hours, days before we lose weeks. Often, time is lost in the gaps between activities doing unproductive things. Make a habit of keeping work with you to fill these gaps (reading material, homework, letters to write, Scripture to memorize).
- Relaxation is not wasted time. Our bodies were created in a such a way that we need down time and rest for our bodies to get back into an optimal state. The Old Testament concept of the Sabbath made the case for rest and relaxation. Jesus Himself gave us an even greater example. "The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.' " - Mark 6:30-31
- Time management is a measure of knowing God's will. Time management provides a way of walking carefully before God and of proving His perfect will.
I hope that these thoughts and principles will encourage you to make the best use of time for your relationship with God, your family, and your Church! God bless you.
Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:15-18)
Making the right decision is very difficult, but in order to make sure we don't make the wrong decisions we can follow these guidelines:
- Live by the Word of God
- Learn and follow the Bible
- Do not put God to a test
- Don't put yourself in a position that requires a miracle for and answer. For example, Satan tempted Jesus to jump off the temple to see if God would perform a miracle to save Him.
- Always worship God and serve Him only
- No other gods
- Never stop doing work's for God's glory
Verses from the Bible on time management
- Psalm 1:2-3 - Meditating day and night... and whatever he does prospers
- Luke 8:14 - Choked by life's worries, riches, and pleasures they realize they are no longer growing and maturing
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 - A time for everything
- Ecclesiastes 8:5-6 - A proper time for everything
- Hosea 10:12 - It is time to seek the Lord
- I Corinthians 8:29 - Time for doing the Lord's work is short
- Psalm 31:15 - All events and circumstances of life are in God's hands
- Matthew 22:36-57 - Love your God
- Proverbs 23:4-5 - Hard work, don't wear yourself out
- Isaiah 40:29-31 - God gives rest to the weary
- Matthew 16:24 - "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
- Ephesians 5:15 - "Be careful how you live - not as unwise, but as wise..."
- Deuteronomy 6:6-7 - Teach and talk with your children - they need our time as well
- Luke 10 - Jesus is with Martha and Mary, and points out that Mary had made the right decision on what was most important
- Matthew 6:19-21 - "Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also."
Questions for discussion
- What is the number one priority that need our time?
Knowing that the only thing we take out of this world will be our soul, how much time should we place on purifying our soul? How much time should we spend on influencing our neighbour so they too will understand the value of purifying their soul? Or are we so consumed with supporting a lifestyle or other personal ambitions that everything you are doing will be lift behind?
- How far do we push ourselves? What is too much or too little?
- We all need rest, is there such thing as good tired and bad tired?
- What are examples of wasted time?
- Can we manage our time over our entire lives? Are there tings we can do earlier in our lives to help free up time later in life? Are there things we would have done when we were younger?
- How do you rest best? What relaxes your mind/body? How much should we spend on recreation/hobbies?
- Describe one very good decision you have made. What factors in making your decision contributed to its success?
- Describe on "lousy" decision you have made. What caused you to make this decision? What consequences have you had to bear because of it? Would you make a different decision if you had to do it over again?
- What are 3 principles did Jesus apply when tempted to make the wrong decisions?
- Every decision is at least a spiritual decision. Do you agree, disagree? Why or why not?
- Every decision is at least a financial decision. Do you agree, disagree? Why or why not?
- How do your dreams and hopes for your children reflect your own priorities? Do they reveal any "weak spots" or "blind spots" in your thinking?
- Read Matthew 22:36-38. What is, and should be, the significance of this command on the way we prioritize the use of our time and money? Give an example.
- What is one areas of your relationship with God in which you are not doing all that you should (e.g. Bible study, prayer, worship, sharing?) What is something practical you are willing to do to improve your relationship with Him?
- What "good work" do you think God may be calling you to do?
- Is rest a priority with you, or do you feel guilty when you relax? Read Matthew 11:28-30. What is Christ's position on rest?
- How does "the world" compete in your life with biblical priorities? Give and example.
- How does "money" compete in your life with biblical priorities? Give an example.
- One of the greatest reasons people cannot mobilize themselves is that they try to accomplish great things. Most worthwhile achievements are the result of many little things done in a single direction. Can you give an example in which you have tackled a project so big that you never get it off the ground? What factors kept you from success? What is the best way to make progress?
- Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. So many of us are pushing hard all the time. Life seems to be a struggle. It's as though we are trying to put "two tons of fertilizer in a one-ton truck." According to this passage we can see that a sovereign God is in control of an ordered world. Do we, or do we not, have enough time to do everything God wants us to do? How should we approach our days if God is in fact, in control?
- Read Proverbs 16:3. What do you think it means to "commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed"?
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