Yes, You Have the Time!

In our Management For Church Leaders™ training we teach about time management. Time is one of the resources that God gives each individual to use as they choose.  In fact, it is the one resource that is non-renewable.  Once it is gone or used up it is gone forever.  You cannot buy more time nor can you re-use the time you have been given.  Furthermore, none of us knows exactly how much time we will have in our lives and so time is a precious and exhaustible resource.

In America, time is very valuable and so we attempt to maximize the use of our time towards things that are important for us.  As the old saying goes here, “time is money”! That goes back to the importance our culture places on work and earning a living to build a financially prosperous life. But Americans also place a very high value on our children, whether it is education, music or sports. Parents spend a lot of time shuttling their kids to soccer practice, music lessons or school activities.

But the rest of the world does not necessarily operate with that same attitude.  Many places I travel time is valued much differently.  Other cultures value leisure time and family time much more than money, work or sports. They do not see time as solely an opportunity to make money, but rather to build relationships and live life more fully.  So you would think that they would not want any training on how to manage their time more effectively since time does not carry the same level of importance as it does in America.

But that is not the case.  Church leaders from other nations do want to learn how to use their time more wisely. They know that the Bible says in Ephesians 5:15-16, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”  They want to be more effective time managers. They just don’t focus on money as the main objective.  The principles of time management can help them determine how best to use their time for their benefit and for God’s purposes.

There are 3 types of people when it comes to using time.  First, there are time wasters.  These type of people do not use time wisely and often use their time to do things that are either non-productive or wasteful. At the end of the day they wonder why nothing got done.  Second, there are time spenders.  These type of people use their time to spend on things they enjoy doing, like sports or entertainment.  But it has no lasting value nor produces anything tangible.  Thirdly, there are time investors.  These type of people use their time to invest in learning new things, developing their skills, building relationships or helping others. They see value in helping grow a business, helping others succeed, or serving those in need.  God wants us all to be time investors and to be producing something of eternal value for the His Kingdom!

The key principle about time management is that managing time is about managing priorities.  We all spend our time on things that are important to us, or the priorities in our lives.  If it is making money, then that is our priority.  If it is spending time with family, then that is our top priority.  Every single one of us uses our time according to what is important to us at that time.  Every minute of every day we are making choices about what to do with our time.  And whatever is most important usually gets our time.  And sometimes that is a nap, or reading a good book, or watching a movie! And in most cases we are in control of our own lives and get to choose how to spend our time.

So, when you ask someone to do something with you or for you and they tell you they do not have the time, that is NOT TRUE!  They have the time.  What they are really telling you is that there is something more important they either need or want to do at that time.  I recall as a teenage boy when I asked a girl out on a date she told me she could not go because she had to wash her hair.  I think you get my point! (I certainly did…)

So to get the most out of the time we are given we must establish the right priorities for our own lives.  We must learn to value the truly important things. As Christians, God expects us to value the things that He values, like love, holiness, service to others, family, humility, witness, faith, and Jesus Christ, to name just a few. When we have these priorities straight then God will indeed bless us and use us mightily for His kingdom building.  We will become His time investors.  And we will live the abundant life that Jesus came to give us as He states in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full!”

Yes, you have the time!  But let us be time investors and use our time to serve God and others and live life to the full!