Bible Teaching About Time Management

What the Bible says about time management is simple: it is to your great advantage. Paul insisted, Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:15, 16). Esmie and I have found the process to be a large part of any successful plans. All of us have been given resources, and how we organize and spend them determines how well we achieve the plans, goals, and tasks God has given each of us to accomplish. Time management is really activity management, because activities are what you plug into the days time slots. And, those selected activities are the steps toward achieving the most of what God wants you to accomplish for Him. There are many issues involved in time management, but here we only have time to explain a few key principles. Read on. Success is just around the corner.

Make a List
Remember that time management flows out of goal setting (link) and plans. The sharper your goals are, the easier to organize your time. Make a list of everything you need to do to carry out your goals. Break big tasks down into small more manageable tasks. Estimate how long it will take you to do each item. Organize your tasks for the day, week, month, year, etc. For example, Esmie and I take two or three days at the first of every year, go off to a place away from distractions, pray, and make our major yearly goals. We get the big picture first, and then begin to break the big goals down into monthly and weekly tasks. This practice of writing down the tasks will remove the frustration of trying to remember everything that you need to do. If you dont write down your tasks, you are bound to forget some things. Furthermore, you will worry and waste time trying to remember what you forgot, rather than investing that time in creative thinking and focused execution.

Prioritize
After you make the list, then prioritize the tasks based on your most important goals. Do first things first. Shove less important tasks down the priority list. Do one item at a time. Your conscious mind can only process one thing at a time, and that means we can only focus on one thing at a time. If you have multiple projects in front of you that you are trying to do all at once, your attention becomes fractured, and you become panicky. Consequently, pick up one part of the project, focus and finish it, put it aside, and go on to the next. When you get those overwhelmed feelings, it just means you want everything done at once which is an impossibility. Interruptions sometimes crop up, and you cannot completely finish a project because of a deadline imposed by another project, or an emergency. But, the main point is to set aside a

block of time, and focus on one task at a time. Additionally, sometimes plans must be changed. Make allowances for interruptions. Beware of the urgent crowding out the important. Many times people will frantically come to you with a small problem, and take your time away from the important thing you need to do. Guard against it. Locate time wasters, and avoid them.

Schedules and Deadlines

Some type of calendar or day-timer is imperative for time management. The appointments you make, the deadlines you face, the projects to start, the places you need to be all of these activities need to be written in a calendar. The calendar, then, becomes your schedule. Schedules are merely plans that specify time periods within which activities are to be accomplished. The purpose of scheduling activities is to break down a project into discrete tasks, order those tasks in the logical sequence of steps needed to complete the project, and then plot the steps against time or target dates. Allow enough time for each step or task. Some tasks can be done in parallel, but sometimes one step needs to be finished before the next step can be started. The following chart illustrates how to accomplish an overall project that contains many sub parts, and is targeted to time.

Overall Project
Task 1 Start---------------finish Task 2 Start------------------finish Task 3 Start------------------finish Task 4 Start-------------------------------------------------------------end of project Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct It is helpful to have a large calendar or white board in the office or planning area, and then write down all the necessary scheduled events so all can see. Mark down all the vacations, important events, deadlines, who is assigned what tasks, etc.

Delegating Responsibilities
What the Bible says about delegation can be seen in the case of Jethro advising Moses to divide up the work, select good people to lead and judge the Israelites, yet under Moses supervision (Exodus 18:1-27). Many things can be done by others, which frees up your time to focus on those things that only you, the leader, can do. Here are some guidelines. Have your secretary, wife, etc. answer the phone, open the mail, and do the routine matters.

 Give adequate and clear instructions, training, and expectations to the person, and then let them do the work. Dont micromanage by looking over their shoulders and telling them how to do every detail. Make sure you give the authority to the person to carry out the assignment. Make clear who is to report to whom, when, and how. Dont give a task to one person, and then give it to another person. The first person will feel humiliated. Determine when you will follow up and check how things are going. Decide what you are going to check. Put the inspection times in your calendar. People have a tendency to put greater focus and effort on what you inspect rather that what you expect. Reward for good results, and give correction when needed. Guard against the pendulum effect, which is drifting from you doing everything, to complete abdication of knowing what is going on.

The Diary
A very helpful tool is to keep a daily, running diary in some sort of tablet. Write down important thoughts, what you did, people you interacted with, decisions you made, phone numbers, addresses, results from appointments, agreements you made, and opportunities you observed. This gives you a record to go back to when needed. It is your memory of important things. With these insights from what the Bible says about time management, Esmie and I pray that you will achieve even greater things for the cause of Christ. We wish your efficiency to increase, and your stress to decrease all to the glory of God. Dr. Willis and Esmie Newman

BIBLE STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. What do these Bible verses tell you about priorities and timing regarding time management? 2. What does Galatians 4:4 and Ephesians 1:11 tell you about God and scheduling? 3. List and explain as many Bible time management principles as you can from Exodus 18:1-27. 4. What does the Bible say about delegation and time management from 1 Corinthians 4:17? 5. Read Jesus parable in Matthew 25:14-30. What can you learn about the wise investment of the resources God gives you which includes time? 6. Read the story of Joseph in Genesis 41:25-57. Identify and explain as many principles of time management as you can, including goal setting, priorities, delegation, scheduling, deadlines, lists, and any other principles you can discover. 7. According to Psalm 90:12; 39:4, what are the writers attitudes toward time management? 8. Read 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10-12. How do these verses relate to how you invest your time, talent, and treasure? 9. In what areas is your time management successful? In what areas could your time management improve? What steps can you take to improve?

10. What stands out to you the most in this study regarding what the Bible says about time management? Explain.

Christian Time Management 72

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By Carla M

Christian Time Management: Do you suffer from Time Famine?

Are you too busy with so many commitments that you rarely have time for things that mean the most to you? Is your to-do list stressing you out to the point where you can't spend enough time with your children, your spouse and God? Not enough time to pray? Not enough time to help out in the church? Always stressed out by all your different priorities? You're in the right place my friend and I welcome you to my page. I want to share some Time Management tips to help you out...are you ready?

Understanding Why Time Famine Occurs

Let's look at some of the most common problems we face... 1. Too much to do on the to-do list Let me be honest with you..you will always have way too many tasks, too many priorities and too many things to do. And, you can't possible do them all..all the time. That's somewhat of a given. The problem is when you try to Do them all..it leaves you stressed out and unable to work on things that are most important. 2. Lack of progress on important goals This happens when you fail to fully describe what the most important things are for you. For example...why is it that some people can never find time to volunteer at the church while others even with their busy schedules have all the time in the world for it? It comes down to priorities. You need to set your priorities and then tame your to-do list according to your priorities.

Achieving Good Christian Time Management: 3 Things You Can Do Right Now

1. Say NO to unimportant tasks If you have a HUGE to-do list..the easiest and the best way to start managing your time is to cut out all the unimportant tasks. Go ahead, do it right now..it will make you feel better and ensure a highly productive day. Remember - first things first..second things second 2. Manage Your Commitments Too many commitments? One of the easiest ways I know is to list them all out and write them all down. Need to pick up kids? Need to run an errand for a neighbor? Write them down...it helps you reduce stress. And, when you reduce stress..it helps you become highly productive and manage your time well. 3. Apply the 80/20 Rule The 80/20 rule states that 80% of your results come from 20% of the things you work on. Which means one of ways to manage your time is to simply recognize the 20% and reduce the 80% When you apply the 80/20 rule you can achieve more results in less time and it also reduces stress.

Christian Time Management: Where to Start

I have shared 3 of my best time management techniques with you here. I hope you'll use them to create more time for your family, God, yourself and your most important commitments. Here are some additional resources for you Free Time Management Course - Learn How you Can Manage Your Time, Get Things Done and reduce stress in 7 days. The Complete Time Management Course - Ready to take Control of your time? Discover How You Can Manage Your Time More Effectively And Become So Highly Productive That You Fall In Love With Life Again