“Where did time go?” “That was a waste of time.” “I don’t have the time.” “Someday I will have enough time.” Have you heard those saying or maybe said them a time or two yourself. We all have just 24 hours in the day. We have limited time, we need to learn Wise Living with our Time.

The world’s view is often is our life on earth is all there is so make the most of the time, enjoy yourself, and accomplish great things.

What does God say about time?

What does it mean to be wise with our time?

God created time when he created day and night. He set it so that each day is 24 hours. We are limited and have limited time. When God created time, he also created seasons. Seasons are times for different things – a time to plant, a time to grow, a time to harvest, and a time to rest.

God controls our time. David writes in Psalm 31:14, “My times are in your hand;” We need to understand that God controls our time as much as we like to think we are in control the truth is God is in control.

God timing is perfect. After 400 years of silence, it was time. Christ came in the fulness of time. We might not understand it and that is okay. God is in control and his time is perfect. Trust him.

We need to be wise with our time. Ephesians 5:16-17, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (ESV) This is written in the context of Paul giving practical truths about how we should live.

How do we use our time wisely?

Know your priorities. That is a ranking of what is important. Only one priority can be in each slot. You need to determine your own priorities. I will say that your first priority should be your personal relationship with God. Matthew 6:33 reminds us of this truth, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

There is a tension in priorities. Each area of life is pulling for attention and needs to be part of your life. You need to know what is the priority. You can’t do everything. Know your limits.

Priorities can change overtime. They should be reviewed. Also it is good to look at your priorities and life. Does the way you are living match your priorities?

Manage your time efficiently. How do you use the 24 hours that you have each day? Do you waste time searching for your phone or keys? Do you get caught up in scrolling social media just to see what happened in the last 30 minutes?

Know what needs to be done each day and each week. Plan your week to use the time wisely. Combine errands so that one trip gets multiple things done. Group similar activities so that they are done at the same time.

I suggest for a week you keep a time log. It might seem a bit time consuming but it is helpful to see where you spend your time. This can help show areas of weakness as well as strengths. Build on your strengths in managing time.

Allow Margin in your day. Don’t plan every minute full of things on your to-do list. Allow time to clean up the coffee that was spilled or the mess the dog just made. Remember what is important is loving and serving God it is not how productive you were.

Having margin in your day will help you have peace but even more it will allow you to be ready to listen to the Spirit’s prompting and drop a card off at someone’s house or call a friend to encourage them. Our day is not about how productive we are but about how we love God.

Have a day of rest. I remember when I was in graduate school and working full-time, our pastor preached a sermon about setting aside a day for rest. Don’t ask me much more about the sermon. Anyway, God used that to speak to me. I decided that even in my busy schedule I would make Sunday a day of rest. I do remember one other thing from that sermon, you need to plan all week for the day of rest. So, that meant I needed to have my assignments done by Saturday night. I needed to plan.

Do you have a day of rest?  I know as moms it can be difficult because of needing to fix meals and care for children. There was a time when Sunday lunch at our house was soup in the slow cooker. It would be ready when we came home from church and I might add some bread or cheese and we had lunch. Teach your children to have a quiet time in their room then spend some time together playing a game, going for a walk, or even fixing dinner.

We need rest. It is one of the 10 Commandments. I know we life under grace and not the law but this is still a good principle. God rested after creation. Why do we rush around 7 days a week? Learn to rest.

An excellent book that will just help you think about this topic is The Art of Rest Faith to hit pause in a  world that never stops by Adam Mabry. Having a day of rest does require faith. I read this and then read it again with my book group. As I write this, I am thinking that is a book I should read again.

Books to Help Wise Living with our Time

First of all, let me just begin by saying, there is no way in the world I could list all the books on using your time wisely. That is a topic with much written about. I would challenge you to balance what you are reading on this topic. The world is pushing us to do more and do it faster and bigger. Many books then are written for that goal.

I am going to recommend 3 books written by Christians on this topic. All of these books I have read.

The Busy Christian’s Guide to Busyness by Tim Chester – One of the things that I was challenged by in this book is how ministry should be in every area of our lives. Tim Chester is a British author so some of the examples might not make sense to an American reader. I think it is an excellent book.

Crazy Busy A [Mercifully] Short Book About a [Really] Big Problem by Kevin DeYoung – “Sometimes I wonder if I’m so busy because I’ve come to believe the life that busyness is the point.” (page 83) I found this a helpful book to read. It was a book group book but unfortunately due to my surgery we have been unable to discuss the book. I think it would have been an excellent discussion

Design Your Day by Claire Diaz-Ortiz – This book is a bit about being more productive, setting goals and living life on purpose. It is a small book and an easy read.

As I looked at the book titles that I shared, I noticed that busy was a theme. Is that a theme in your life? What if your life were marked by peace, calm, restful, or maybe organised? What would that look like for you?

 

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 (ESV)

 

What is your biggest challenge in using your time wisely? Leave a comment below.

 

This is part of a series on Wise Living.

Wise Living – An Introduction

Wise Living in Relationships

 

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