As much as I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, when I was pastoring, there were certain people from whom our pastoral staff would hide.
We were in good company. There were times when even Jesus tried to hide:
“From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.” Mark 7:24.
Some people want to talk your ear off, and they will—if you let them.
Pastors must set aside time for prayer, counseling, studying the Scriptures, family devotions, sermon preparation, time with their wives and kids, and relaxation. Someone once wisely said that if we don’t come apart, we will come apart.
The Bible says to redeem the time because the days are evil (see Ephesians 5:16). In other words, we should make the best use of our time because we live in seriously evil times.
I always feel challenged as to how I spend my time. I don’t want to waste it. When driving, I’m often tempted to play some old Beatles songs because they bring back great memories and make me feel good. But instead of using pleasure as the criterion to spend my time, I tell Siri to pull up the Psalms, and I listen to them as I drive. This is a choice between personal temporal pleasure and deliberately tapping into the eternal. The latter should always be our priority.
There is nothing wrong with many pleasurable things in life, but they can often waste time. Take, for instance, watching sports. My wife and I watch a lot of sports—so I have found a good compromise between my pleasure and my ministry. I edit videos for our YouTube channel with an ear plug in one ear and my other ear open to the television commentator. When he gets excited, that’s my cue to stop editing, look up and catch what’s happening.
One of the greatest revelations we can have is to realize that everything in this life, outside of the will of God, is tragically chasing the wind. It will pass. But when we tap into the eternal, we break free from the bondage of futility. Matthew Henry said, “Time flies away without delay; opportunity is lost when once neglected.”
I know God gives His beloved sleep (see Psalm 127:2). But it is annoying to me that we must spend nearly one-third of our precious lives in a state of unconsciousness. Like breathing and eating, sleep is something we have no choice about. We fall asleep at night exhausted from the day’s activities and often wake up in the morning feeling worse than when we went to sleep. Our faces are pale, our hair looks like a tumbleweed, our breath could kill a houseplant at 15 feet, and our mouth feels disgusting.
Most nights, I deliberately wake up around midnight, grab hold of my laptop, put in an air pod, and spend a couple of hours writing or editing for our YouTube channel. That way, when I wake up in the morning, the whole eight hours haven’t been a complete waste of time. You may not have a congenial wife who doesn’t mind a computer in bed, but as a pastor, there are some strategies you can use to save time:
1. Prioritize your tasks: List and prioritize your most important tasks based on their urgency and importance. Focus on completing the most critical tasks first and delegate tasks others can handle.
2. Use technology: Many tools are available to help pastors save time, such as online scheduling software, sermon preparation software, and communication tools like email and social media. Use these tools to streamline your workflow and reduce the time you spend on administrative tasks.
3. Outsource non-essential tasks: Consider outsourcing tasks like bookkeeping, social media management, and website maintenance to free up your time for more important tasks.
4. Limit distractions: Avoid distractions that can consume your time and reduce productivity. For example, turn off your phone notifications during sermon preparation and schedule specific times to check your email.
5. Take breaks: Take regular breaks to rest and recharge. Studies have shown that taking breaks can increase productivity and creativity.
By implementing these strategies, you can save precious time and be more productive as a pastor.
The Pastor’s Treasury: His Library
Do You Have the Power to Redeem Yourself?
Overwhelmed by Love to Evangelize
The post How Pastors Can Make the Most of Their Fleeting Time appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...
We were in good company. There were times when even Jesus tried to hide:
“From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.” Mark 7:24.
Some people want to talk your ear off, and they will—if you let them.
Redeem your time
Pastors must set aside time for prayer, counseling, studying the Scriptures, family devotions, sermon preparation, time with their wives and kids, and relaxation. Someone once wisely said that if we don’t come apart, we will come apart.
The Bible says to redeem the time because the days are evil (see Ephesians 5:16). In other words, we should make the best use of our time because we live in seriously evil times.
I always feel challenged as to how I spend my time. I don’t want to waste it. When driving, I’m often tempted to play some old Beatles songs because they bring back great memories and make me feel good. But instead of using pleasure as the criterion to spend my time, I tell Siri to pull up the Psalms, and I listen to them as I drive. This is a choice between personal temporal pleasure and deliberately tapping into the eternal. The latter should always be our priority.
There is nothing wrong with many pleasurable things in life, but they can often waste time. Take, for instance, watching sports. My wife and I watch a lot of sports—so I have found a good compromise between my pleasure and my ministry. I edit videos for our YouTube channel with an ear plug in one ear and my other ear open to the television commentator. When he gets excited, that’s my cue to stop editing, look up and catch what’s happening.
One of the greatest revelations we can have is to realize that everything in this life, outside of the will of God, is tragically chasing the wind. It will pass. But when we tap into the eternal, we break free from the bondage of futility. Matthew Henry said, “Time flies away without delay; opportunity is lost when once neglected.”
The annoyance of sleep
I know God gives His beloved sleep (see Psalm 127:2). But it is annoying to me that we must spend nearly one-third of our precious lives in a state of unconsciousness. Like breathing and eating, sleep is something we have no choice about. We fall asleep at night exhausted from the day’s activities and often wake up in the morning feeling worse than when we went to sleep. Our faces are pale, our hair looks like a tumbleweed, our breath could kill a houseplant at 15 feet, and our mouth feels disgusting.
Most nights, I deliberately wake up around midnight, grab hold of my laptop, put in an air pod, and spend a couple of hours writing or editing for our YouTube channel. That way, when I wake up in the morning, the whole eight hours haven’t been a complete waste of time. You may not have a congenial wife who doesn’t mind a computer in bed, but as a pastor, there are some strategies you can use to save time:
1. Prioritize your tasks: List and prioritize your most important tasks based on their urgency and importance. Focus on completing the most critical tasks first and delegate tasks others can handle.
2. Use technology: Many tools are available to help pastors save time, such as online scheduling software, sermon preparation software, and communication tools like email and social media. Use these tools to streamline your workflow and reduce the time you spend on administrative tasks.
3. Outsource non-essential tasks: Consider outsourcing tasks like bookkeeping, social media management, and website maintenance to free up your time for more important tasks.
4. Limit distractions: Avoid distractions that can consume your time and reduce productivity. For example, turn off your phone notifications during sermon preparation and schedule specific times to check your email.
5. Take breaks: Take regular breaks to rest and recharge. Studies have shown that taking breaks can increase productivity and creativity.
By implementing these strategies, you can save precious time and be more productive as a pastor.
Related:
The Pastor’s Treasury: His Library
Do You Have the Power to Redeem Yourself?
Overwhelmed by Love to Evangelize
The post How Pastors Can Make the Most of Their Fleeting Time appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...