Sometimes, it feels as if there are two ditches to fall into when we’re making use of our time.
Spreading ourselves too thin with too many yeses . . . Or grudging every little request for our time.
Wasting time . . . Or working ourselves into a lather.
Holding onto our time too tightly with a clenched hand . . . or letting it slide like water between out fingers, never to be regained.
With two equally unfavorable positions to fall into, how can we strike a balance? Here are a couple quick thoughts:
Guarding Time
Jonathan Edwards, one of America’s most godly preachers, once penned these words: “Resolved, never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.”
What a focused way of looking at life! Jonathan Edwards had a remarkable understanding of how God has given us a set number of days, and those days must be guarded as a gift straight from Him.
Life can easily spin into chaos with all of the activities screaming for our attention–and we can fall into the trap of keeping busy with meaningless work if we aren’t careful.
One verse that always jumps out at me in Ephesians says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time.”
Slowing Our Pace
Sometimes when considering time, it’s easy to think, “If I just worked faster, harder, or later, then I would be using my time better!”
There’s definitely a place for efficiency, but speed is not the end of the matter. In fact, maybe taking a slower approach to the day would be better.
Chuck Swindoll has a lovely way of putting the matter into perspective: “Listen–God has given you (as He gave His Son) sufficient time in each day for you to fulfill His perfect plan–including the interruptions! It you’re fudging on your sleep or becoming a frantic, nail-biting, hurried Christian, then you are adding to your day too many things that are simply not His will for you.”
Rather than rushing through the day, perhaps we should consider the quality of our time. Are our attitudes God-honoring? How about the way we react to others? Are we keeping an eternal perspective on life?
For me, I’ve been trying to take a closer look at my life and ask myself two questions. One, are there any time-wasters in my life that need to be cut? And two, is there anything that feels important, but may not actually be an activity I need to add to my day?
With a mind set on things from above rather than here on earth, we’ll do a lot better at managing our schedules.
Well said Alena!