Using Time Well
/Greetings in the Name of our Lord,
Has anyone else noticed the traffic is getting worse in our area? Where are all these people going? Everyone seems to be going somewhere. I know spring can be crazy busy, but every time of year brings more to be done and time pressures. Summer brings vacations. Fall is the beginning of school. Then comes the rush of Thanksgiving and Christmas. January and February can be slow, but the weather is often bad. Plus, it’s flu season.
As I write this, Easter is just around the corner, followed by the end of school with graduations. And… the cycle begins again, with no end in sight. When life is busy, our values are an important guide to how we live. Do we have control of our schedule, or does our schedule control us? How much of our day is spent reacting to the demands doing what’s important?
This week, I spent my prayer time reviewing my values and taking stock of what is most important. Here is where God led me.
First, I have written these two passages in my journal to remind me to put God first. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.” The Psalmist sings in 37:4, “Take delight in the Lord, and the Lord will give you the desires of your heart.” Putting God first by taking time for prayer, worship, and spiritual growth will always lead to a richer and fuller life. We will still feel the stress of the seasons, but God has a way of smoothing out the edges when our lives are centered on the Lord.
Second, I want to make my family and friends the next highest priority. Each week, I plan to set aside time to reach out to those closest to me so they know I love and care for them. It will take work not to let the urgent get in the way of those who are important to me.
There will always be tasks that need to get done. I don’t want to ignore or dismiss these things. Neither do I want to let the “tyranny of the urgent” keep me from putting first things first.
Consider these suggestions when dealing with the stress and demands of life. Being clear about our values can make a difference.
Values protect our time so we can make time for what is truly important.
Values help us to know when to say no and when to say yes. Time, energy, and resources are limited. We can't do everything; we can only do what God has called us to do. It's important to know when to say yes.
Values limit the number of projects we pursue. Dig deep, not wide.
Focus on doing what matters. Just hanging out with family, spouse, or friends and doing nothing can be the most important activity of the day. Redefine what it means to be productive by what it means to be loving. Spending quiet time with God in the early morning can make the rest of a hectic day manageable. Sometimes it is the little things that matter most.
William Penn said, "Time is what we want most, but what we use worst." Using time well is a lifelong pursuit, a never-ending process of weeding and pruning.
Drive carefully when the traffic of life gets heavy. Psalm 90:12 in the New Living Translation says, "Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom."
See you Sunday! Starting the week in worship helps put life in perspective.
Pastor John Allen