Isn’t It About Time?

William Shakespeare penned the line, “I wasted time, and now doth time waste me”—an age-old problem affecting all of us.

It never really occurred to me how much work was involved in raising my seven brothers and sisters and me—until my wife and I had our own two children. I asked my parents how they were able to manage such a big family. They simply replied, “We just did what we had to do.” Of course, that says it mildly. Obviously, to successfully feed, house, clothe and educate so many youngsters not only took long, hard hours, but required considerable efficiency in the use of time.

Among the wise sayings passed on by American founding father Benjamin Franklin was this one: “Time is money.” And my parents were very careful about managing both their money and their minutes. I recall how they frequently reminded us not to fritter away resources such as water and electricity and to use our time profitably. My mother often advised me not to “waste time” but to quickly “get busy” on my homework and assigned chores. Television viewing, which my father often called “a big waste of time,” was allowed for only about an hour after school and never after supper. During evening meals dad would often instruct us on the flaw of spending time fruitlessly. Many of those lessons have stayed with me to this day.

Franklin also wrote, “Do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” Bearing that in mind, what are some practices we can employ to more prudently use this precious resource? Furthermore, just what is the purpose of time? Why did God give us time, and what does He expect us to be doing with it? Is it simply to enjoy a good life now, or is there a supremely greater reason to comprehend and act on?

Wisely managing our time

Several decades ago, an essay by time management specialist Merrill Douglass offered this poignant assessment: “Time is a different kind of resource. You can’t buy it, sell it, rent it, steal it, borrow it, loan it, store it, multiply it, manufacture it, modify it or otherwise change it. All you can do is spend it. Time is life. The way you spend your time defines the kind of life you live. To waste your time is to waste your life” (“Ideas About Time,” 1979).

Indeed, isn’t life about time, and doesn’t it seem to fly away all too quickly? (Psalm 90:10) King David of ancient Israel wrote, “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow” (Psalm 144:4). The psalmist understood this when he said, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

Peter Drucker, widely considered the father of modern management, stated, “Time is the scarcest resource, and unless it is managed, nothing else can be managed” (The Effective Executive, 2017, p. 57). Since we don’t know when our supply of this priceless commodity will end, it is critical we use it wisely. Here are seven methods for better organizing our time.

1. Determining goals.

I have learned that to effectively manage my time I must plainly define both work and personal goals. Mindtools.com, a career skill development website, says: “By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals, and you’ll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. You will also raise your self-confidence, as you recognize your own ability and competence in achieving the goals that you’ve set” (Matthew Hughes, “Personal Goal Setting”). Educator Laurence Peter, in his humorous 1969 book The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong, relates what he cleverly told his students: “If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.”

2. Avoiding procrastination.

Procrastination has caused me to spend more time worrying about handling a project than actually taking the time to get busy on it in the first place. If I tackle a difficult project without delay, I don’t have to be concerned it will not be finished on time. And as writer Leon Edward noted: “Putting things off is the number one cause of stress. When you put things off, they tend to creep up on you all at once and you find yourself with a multitude of tasks that need to be finished all at once. This not only causes stress that leads to loss of concentration, it also can cause you to become overwhelmed with work, and that can lead to difficulties in focusing” (“Tips for Laser Like Focus,” streetdirectory.com).

3. Getting organized.

I have discovered that to use time productively I must be as organized as possible. A cluttered workspace, office, desk, kitchen or garage can be a big time waster since extra time is often required to locate needed items or supplies.

Several years ago my wife and I moved from an apartment to a house. On moving day we arranged the furniture, set up the beds and took care of other immediate needs. Over the next few days, other work needed to be done, including several small carpentry and plumbing jobs. However, before starting right in on them I took several hours to organize my tools and supplies in the garage.

My wife became mildly upset, but I explained that I could more efficiently accomplish the projects if I first knew where each tool and part were located. With those items carefully organized in designated places, I could quickly access them rather than spending extra time rummaging through storage and moving boxes. TimeManagementHelp.com in its article “Time Management Tips” states, “Good time management is synonymous with good organization.”

4. Listing duties and deciding priorities.

Preparing a written list of my daily work and personal projects has proven very useful. Also, creating deadlines for various tasks has been valuable since it provides a sense of urgency. In addition, I’ve learned that it’s important to list responsibilities in order of priority, from urgent to minor. By identifying the major or urgent duties and tackling them right away, I’m able to use my time more advantageously. When time permits, I work on the minor items, which is generally at the end of the day or the next day. Peter Drucker perceptively noted that efficiency is doing things right, while effectiveness is doing the right things (pp. 2, 4).

5. Using a planning calendar.

I find that consistently using a weekly planning calendar is an important means of not only scheduling upcoming events, but of prioritizing various projects. Appointments and to-do lists can be written on a desk or pocket-size calendar or entered into a computer, smartphone or tablet.

6. Dividing large tasks into smaller ones.

Trying to do too much all at once on a large project can seem overwhelming. It’s often better to divide larger tasks into smaller, more manageable ones that can be accomplished over a designated period of time. The TimeManagementHelp article explains: “Divide large tasks into small ones to get a better sense of accomplishment as you complete each step. In addition, when you’re interrupted in the middle of a task, it’s much easier to get back on track and regain your focus.”

7. Concentrating on and finishing projects.

When working on a short-term project I find it is productive to concentrate my full attention on it alone and do my best to finish it before starting another task. Of course, this is not always possible since interruptions and other demands occasionally arise. Leon Edward also stated: “When you take on too many tasks at one time, you are setting yourself up for failure. Overwhelming yourself with too many tasks will inhibit your ability to focus because you will stress about getting everything done on time.”

Further, it’s important to take the necessary amount of time to handle a project correctly the first time. Before writing his popular series title Time Management for Dummies (1999), author Jeffery Mayer asked in the title of an earlier book, If You Haven’t Got the Time to Do It Right, When Will You Find the Time to Do It Over? (1990).

Why time?

Of course, we need motivation. To help with that, let’s consider why we should diligently manage our time. Is it simply to live a better life now, or is there a significantly greater purpose we need to grasp? The Bible explains why we have been given time and what we ought to be doing with it.

Our fundamental priority is summarized in the words of Jesus Christ: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33, emphasis added throughout). Supporting this vital goal, the apostle Peter explains that we must use our time to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Further, the apostle Paul makes clear we must “lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:12). The apostle John explains we are “to become children of God” (John 1:12). In preparing for our future with God, we must with His help overcome life’s obstacles through faith and obedience (Romans 8:35-37; Hebrews 5:9; Hebrews 6:12). And ultimately, we’ll be rewarded with immense responsibility as “kings and priests” in God’s coming government (Revelation 1:5-6).

These and many other compelling scriptures help us focus on the very purpose of time. As a result, all other physical objectives we pursue in life must be weighed against God’s central spiritual aim. Paul admonishes us to be very careful about how we spend our time since it can easily be consumed on comparatively less significant objectives. “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time” (Ephesians 5:15-16). Since we live in an immoral, sinful age, Paul urges us to be “without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” (Philippians 2:15). This can only be accomplished if our priorities are in the right order!

Are our priorities mixed up?

Time is short. We have only a finite period to prepare for our future in God’s family (Romans 8:19). Our vicious adversary Satan the devil also knows this. He realizes he has limited time to frustrate and stop our progress towards eternal life, and he will yet launch a last-ditch effort (Revelation 12:12). This deceptive and corrupt spirit being has already ingeniously devised a world in which we can become so preoccupied with competing interests and duties that we have little or no time for the true riches (Romans 11:33).

We should ask: How can we squeeze in everything we have to do each day without neglecting our chief spiritual responsibility? Consider the example of Martha and Mary of Bethany in Luke 10. Martha was given the opportunity to host a meal in her home with Jesus and some of His disciples. Of course, she wanted everything to be perfect. The project became her most important priority. As a result, she put a significant amount of time into planning, preparation and then implementing the event. However, Martha’s sister Mary was more concerned about hearing Christ’s words and learning from Him.

When Martha complained that Mary wasn’t helping her with the physical duties of preparing and serving the meal, Christ carefully explained the correct priority: “And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:41-42).

Martha had not yet fully recognized what was most significant. Could you and I be a little like her? Are our priorities mixed up? If so, isn’t it about time we took a good look at what we consider to be important? In 1857, American essayist Henry David Thoreau insightfully wrote to a friend about being busy: “It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants. What are you industrious about?”

Of course, we all need to eat, sleep, work, play and rest. “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). But how much time do we spend watching television or participating in hobbies and recreational pursuits, for example? Although these activities are not wrong, could they be consuming too much time compared to our seeking “those things which are above”? (Colossians 3:1).

It’s time to awaken from sleep

As a child, my parents set a good example of time management. Growing into adulthood I was able to place many of their instructions into practice. However, it was not until later that I learned the real purpose of time and the true priority to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). The Scriptures plainly define for us why God has given us time and what we should be doing with it.

As we “see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25), we should ask ourselves if our priorities are properly aligned. The apostle Paul declared to the Christians at Rome, “now it is high time to awake out of sleep” (Romans 13:11). He was placing the choice before us, in effect asking, “Isn’t it about time we become deeply serious about what is really important?” To be sure, God is awaiting our answer right now!