Time Management - Colin Murray

Every day, God credits our account with 86,400 seconds. We have 24 hours to use them, and once they are gone, they have gone forever. But of course, the very next day God gives us another 86,400. The question is: How do we use those seconds? How do we use our time? These questions are particularly important for Christians. Those who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ have a responsibility to use their time to bring glory to God. Whatever is done, it should be done to the glory and honour of God, our Father. In managing our time, we must decide what is important in our lives. What are the key things that we must make time for? - We must read and study the Word of God. - We must spend time in prayer. - We must serve in the work of the Lord. - We must work. - We must eat. - We must sleep. - We must spend time with friends and family. - We must rest. These are things that we simply have to allow time for, and we need to responsibly balance our time between these various tasks. For example, a person who spends every moment in the study of God's Word, but who does not allow time for practical service for Christ, is not using their time wisely. Likewise, someone who spends 80% of their time resting, and only 10% working, does not use their time wisely. Our time must allow for each task, and we should give a fair balance to all of them. We are accountable for our time, and as such we should not be seen to waste the time that God has given us. We should consider the message that we send out to unbelievers by the way in which we spend our time. It is, however, possible to over-use our time. In the work of God, being busy does not necessarily equate to being obedient. God may have a single task for us to do, a task that we perhaps lose sight of, because we are too busy engaging ourselves in other legitimate pursuits. Maybe even doing jobs, serving the Lord, in areas that God has reserved for others. That is also a foolish use of our time. It is therefore imperative that we discover what it is that God wants us to with our time, and stick to it. God, in His will, will always ensure that there is adequate time for rest, adequate time for family, adequate time for work, adequate time for study, adequate time for prayer and adequate time for the church. Not following His will, regardless of how good the intent is, and how spiritual the task is, could lead us into poor management of our time, to such an extent that we could squeeze out the vital tasks like reading the Word and praying. A simple guide, in relation to the management of our time, is surely that, as believers, we should not spend time doing things that we couldn't ask the blessing of God for. It doesn't have to be a 'spiritual' task, but if we were ashamed, in prayer, to ask God's blessing and help as we pursue it, then it seems clear that it brings no benefit to our lives. Let it go, and free up time for the daily work that God has given each one of us to do.