The Core of Christian Time Management

First What it is NOT: Asking God to bless our plans

O.K. this is not a bad thing, by any stretch of the imagination but I believe there is a better way—a way that is more central to or a core to Christian time management.

Planning Long-term

It is NOT bad to plan long term, in fact this is very needed, but again I do not think this is a core to Christian time management. Even getting out your yearly or monthly calendar and praying over it and asking God to bless it, or for God to guide you in making choices is not the best way to manage your time. The problem here is not that you are planning or that you are praying but it is the time issue, the length of time you are trying to control.

What it is: Daily Time Management

Note: Again, this does NOT mean that you should not plan long term! We all need to know where we are headed and a framework to work from. I just don’t think that is enough.

What I suggest is the core of Christian time management involves two things. Firstly it involves a minimum of daily interaction with the Lord, but preferably many times per day. Secondly it involves interaction or prayer or asking the Lord what He wants you to do with your time. I just don’t think that yearly, quarterly, monthly, or weekly planning, even asking Him what He wants is enough! Daily is barely enough!

So what am I suggesting?

Asking the Lord what He wants us to be doing with our time every morning and throughout the day.

Sample Questions:

In the morning: Lord, is there anything that I have on my schedule today that is not according to your will or is there anything missing from my schedule that you would like me to add in? (I think it is obvious that this would involve prayer and listening to God—hearing God and then doing what He says.)
Throughout the day: Lord, what do you want me to do or say right now? (I hope that it is also obvious that this involves obedience and giving up control of your own time—don’t bother asking God this if you have no intention of doing what He says!)

In what ways are you involving God in your schedule planning and time management right now? Have you readjusted your thinking from reading my blog post? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Cheryl Cope on Google+

Comments

The Core of Christian Time Management — 9 Comments

Rosalie Garde on September 10, 2012 at 9:53 am said:

I concur, Cheryl. I try to do this always.

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- Cheryl Cope on September 10, 2012 at 12:21 pm said:
  
  Glad to hear it!!
  
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Pastor Sherry on September 10, 2012 at 5:03 pm said:

Hi Cheryl, I’ve been trying to learn that what I don’t get done in the day was not meant for me to do (provided I haven’t squandered my time), and that when something unexpected happens that I have to take care of, God’s already foreseen it, and has made provision for it timewise. It’s a lesson I am learning over and over and over!

By the way, I have a FB tribe of Christian bloggers who read, comment, and syndicate each other’s posts for wider readership. Would you like to be part of this? The FB group is called “Blogging for God.”

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- Cheryl Cope on September 11, 2012 at 6:59 am said:
  
  I’m am learning this lesson over and over myself. Frequently my blog posts are sermons to myself. 🙂
  
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JesusRx on September 10, 2012 at 8:38 pm said:

I love what you have to say here! Our my goals God given or self given? there are times when I am so happy for those “interruptions”, that were truly God saying…STOP…go and do something else. I love how HE OPENS THE DOORS, how spending time with him in prayer brings confirmation. I can look back over the last few months and see God answer prayers and direct JesusRx. Not sure exactly what will happen as we do our shows, but I’m excited knowing it is where God is placing us and we are praying we will be used by him and able to shine his light and love to others.

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- Cheryl Cope on September 11, 2012 at 6:58 am said:
  
  God is amazing how He opens doors for us if we will just take the time to listen and then obey. On the journey with you in learning to trust in Him more.
  
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Betsy Warren Jennings LifeCoac on September 11, 2012 at 7:58 am said:

Thank you Cheryl for this. As a coach in her first year of “working for myself”” I have been in tons of fear. I have not been diligent about asking for Gods blessings or what he would have me do, probably because of the fear I am in.. I have not been in Gods will because I have not been intentional about asking what his will is for me today and throughout the day. I am asking right now!!

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- Cheryl Cope on September 11, 2012 at 8:08 am said:
  
  It is brave of you to admit that you’ve been in fear. I suppose that is the problem with most of us, isn’t it? Fear is behind our simple lack of trust. God is so merciful and gracious to love us anyway!
  
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Amy Roth Hagerup on September 12, 2012 at 7:53 am said:

I was not sure where you were going with this when I read what Christian time management is NOT. But, as always, you brought another great concept to the table and something we all need to be reminded of. I meet with the Lord in the a.m. and lay my day before HIm, but I need to get better at the “throughout the day” part – especially when distractors and time wasters start to pop in. Thanks, Cheryl.

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