Balanced Time

Balance of Time

Five Key Principles Of Time Management

Last week we began a thought of Balance, and we talked about how to have balance and I introduced the idea that to have a balance you must have a focal point that you are focused on, and the Bible tells us that our focal point must be God above. So part two of that is that to have true balance you must constantly be making minor adjustments in your time.

So think for a moment what the greatest stress factors in your life are today. Haven’t your stressors involved some feelings of being overloaded with responsibilities – at home – at work – at school – at church – or maybe a combination of all of these plus more. You are stressed because you are: running late for an appointment then get stopped at a traffic light. Then the car starts acting up – and how are you going to find the money and the time to get it fixed? Is there going to be enough time to come home from work – cook dinner and then still make it to school for the kids program? Oh, and by the way Joe down the street suggested you should get together sometime for coffee – you told him you would call him back but you still haven’t taken the time to call him back yet. I like to call all of these things "When Life Happens".

Each of these anxiety-producers has to do with time management. Think of how many day-to-day issues involve the use of time. In fact that is what the day consists of – T – I – M – E. The clock seems to be our enemy – because it keeps on ticking no matter what happens – regardless whether we have time for it or not.

The solution is time management. But here is the catch. Time management will require work if you want to succeed. It will require hard work. It will require home work and it will require heart work. Being successful at time management – requires work.

In today’s sermon, I would like to talk about five focuses of time management. And I believe that once we define it will help you manage your time as you struggle with your overwhelming situations of life. Let me give you five guiding thoughts of how we should divide our time. I want to show you something though, how is most of our days divided?

1. Give God time-

With 2/3 of our day eaten up with work and sleep we must take the first part of the other
1/3 and put God into it. Whether it be in personal Bible study, prayer time, group Bible study whatever it is God must be number 1. He must be the first priority not just a Sunday Priority.

Jesus said it this way:

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

Jesus was saying that we need to set priorities in life and that He is priority #1.

2. Give Family Time-

God calls us to not only honor our father and mother but He also calls us to marry and love. Most time it is very hard to remember our families when we are being pulled into forty different directions by work and life. But to be successful I have learned after 14 years and where I fill like I am figuring it out I do not have it figured out yet. Family must become something for us all that we cherish. We need to find a way to include family wherever we can. Ideally Church and Family will go hand in hand. And directly hand to hand with that we must...

3. Give friends Time-

We find that Jesus set this principle when He was asked:

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”” Matthew 22:36-40 (NKJV)

In this short statement – Jesus tells us that there are two relationships that are vital.

A. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father – and
B. Our relationship with other people.

Why would He tell us that relationships are such an important thing? Because all the “stuff” – material possessions – will disappear – but relationships will last. The money – the job – the possessions – the toys – all that “stuff” – will all be gone in the end. But your relationship with God will last forever. In fact – where you will spend eternity is based on one thing – your relationship with God. Therefore, your relationship to God is of vital importance. If you do nothing else in this life – take the time to build your relationship with friends who are based in Faith.

4. Take Time to Plan

Someone once told me – you need to hope for the best – but plan for the worst. There is much wisdom it that statement. Jesus talked about planning when He said,

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Luke 14:28-30 (NKJV)

Let me ask you a question – how many of you planned to be here today? You know what? – I did too. In fact I even came today – prepared to preach. I knew that last week I left here as the preacher and I planned to return this week as the preacher. I also knew that as the preacher someone here would expect me to preach. So you know what I did – I planned for it. I prepared my sermon – I wrote it out. I went over it and over it so that I knew most of it by heart – not necessarily word for word for word – but thought by thought. When I prepare – I prepare so much that I usually don’t need to look at my notes very often. That planning and preparation allows me the freedom to look at you – and talk to you. But that just does not happen – it comes with work – it comes with planning. I believe that every minister should take time to plan out their messages.

Planning can also help with your family life. You know that each year birthdays come around – and so do holidays. We all have our family traditions – plan for them – prepare for them. Proverbs tells us:

“The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit, but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor.” Proverbs 21:5 (HCSB)

The Message Bible says it this way:

“Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.” Proverbs 21:5 (MSG)

Do you want to use your time wisely? Plan ahead. Because when life happens it throws a monkey wrench into what you are doing. And without things planned out you get overwhelmed and lost in the activity. Because life is going to happen.

5. Take time for You-

It is important for us to take time for things we enjoy to do. It is important to take time for ourselves to decompress. It is important for us to do things that we enjoy to do. Because when we don't we often cheat ourselves from what we enjoy to do. We must take time for ourselves to be healthy with both mind and spirit for the other 4 things on this list. Especially, God, Family, and Friends.

No why is all this so important?

Well, I want to tell you a story about Richard. Richard was a young man who came from a very poverty stricken background. But Richard was determined that he would not remain in poverty. Richard planned to marry and he planned that his wife and children would have the good things of life – live a comfortable life. He would never allow his wife to suffer as his mother suffered in poverty. Richard worked hard at a full time job and went to college full time too. He was not much of a church goer – in fact he thought church was a waste of time. He eventually earned a Masters degree in Business Administration. Everybody who met him would say, “Now there’s a guy who’s going somewhere. One day that guy is going to make it big.”

Richard was hired by a good company. He got married and had a couple of kids – a boy and a girl. They lived a very comfortable life. But Richard was driven with the need to accumulate more. He worked more and more hours on the job. He moved up the company ladder. He invested his money well and made a killing on the market. The guy had success written all over him. His wife asked him if he could finally cut back on work so they could spend some time together. He told her that after this next big move, he would cut back – but not now. Right now he really needed to invest more time in the job. He needed to keep climbing the ladder socially and economically and win the admiration of all – and so he tried.

One day Richard realized that he had gone as far up the ladder as he could go. Again his wife asked him, “Come and spend more time with me and the children. Take off on Sunday and go to church with us.” He told her, "You know honey, I’ve gone as far as I can go with this company. I’m only forty-five years old – but I’ve got a plan to be a bigger success. I want to tell you about in the morning after I run some numbers on the computer.”

Sitting at the computer Richard was thinking, “I’ve made a lot of money with these stocks, but I don’t want to keep it all here. I’ll sell them and invest in gold – hopefully I’ll double what I’m making now. Boy I’ve got a lot of good things – a beautiful home – a Mercedes and a Lexus – and money in the bank to boot. My wife is right though – I need to sit back and enjoy the things that I have worked so hard for. I need to relax a little – I have done such a good job – getting where I am now.”

While he was admiring his great skill and accomplishments – looking over all the material “stuff” he had gathered – for the first time he heard God speak. God said, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself." With that message, Richard grabbed for his chest. He slumped over on his computer and He died. His wife found him there at the next day simply looking as though he had fallen asleep.

Jesus said, "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich in Godly things. God knows all about our plans and our dreams. He knows all about what it is we plan to accomplish and what are motives are in accomplishing it. He knows all the hours we’re putting in and the sacrifices we’re making. But God knows something
we don’t. God knows when our clock is going to stop ticking. Just when Richard thought he was ready to enjoy it, he lost it all.

The tragedy was not in losing his wealth or even dying. The tragedy was that he had gained his wealth – all of his “stuff” – at the expense of neglecting his relationship with God and his family. His stewardship of his life was an utter failure. He had been prepared in advance for every board meeting, he had prepared in advance for every interview, he had prepared in advance to make sure his financial situation was in order, but when it came to the biggest meeting of his life, the most important interview we must all experience, and examination of his account in heaven before the throne of God – Richard was totally unprepared.

The only one who could possibly provide him with any assistance at the judgment seat of God, was Jesus Christ. But all through his life, Richard had been too busy to make time for Jesus. He could not be bothered with the ministry of the church. He had to work overtime and extra-time. He had to go to this meeting and that meeting. He had to play golf with the right group of people and go to the proper social functions. Surely God understood all this – a person has to make a living you know. But because Richard did not have time for God – God did not have a place in eternity for him.

Guys – Jesus put it this way:

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:24-27 (KJV)

How we spend our time is important.

Are you building a relationship – with God?

Are you taking care of your family?

Are you taking time to develop friendships based in Faith?

Are you planning in advance so when life happens you are ready?

Are you taking time for yourself?