"Personal productivity consultant Denis Waitley says, “Good time management allows you to maximize the daily return on the energy and mental effort you expend.” The enemy of good time management explains Waitley, is often procrastination.
He states, “Too many people are waiting for “just the perfect setting,” “just the right situation,” or “just the right opportunity.” That perfect context may never come along.” He advises instead to “Put the energy you’ve been directing toward excuses into the activity you’ve been avoiding.” “Don’t be late, don’t hesitate, cogitate, marinate or procrastinate. Activate!”
I like that advice. Often times we as Christians miss God’s best for our lives not because we reject it but because we don’t move quickly enough to take advantage of the opportunities God brings our way. It’s always going to be easier to watch TV than to get out of our comfort zone by learning a new skill or sharing the Gospel with a non-Christian friend. But, taking those initiatives to experience God’s best is the way to redeem the time.
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"One of my earliest memories is going with my father to the county fair where they had ""freak shows"" with sword swallowers, fat ladies, and, on one occasion, I recall, ""The man with three eyes and two noses."" Captivated by the drawing of this unique man on the banner, I asked my dad if we could go see him, and, probably against his better judgement, he agreed.
Once inside, a man appeared on stage with a pug nose, two normal eyes, and a third eye painted in the middle of his forehead. He explained that he had been born with a third eye in that spot, but had it surgically removed.
Even at my young age, I realized I had been taken. My curiosity had gotten the best of me. Unfortunately that is still happening to many Christians today. Their curiosity gets them sidetracked from what God wants them to accomplish.
But, you can avoid the disappointment of a curiosity-driven day by staying focused on God's mission for your day and redeeming the time.
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"Would you say someone who watches 20 minutes of TV each week worships TV? Probably not. A person in our day who only watches only 20 minutes of TV each week would no doubt be classified as someone with very little interest in TV. That would be evidenced by the fact they spend so little time with it.
Would you say that someone who focuses on God 20 minutes a week worships God? If your study of God and His Word is limited to one 20 minute sermon once each week, what does that fact reveal about your true priorities?
Don’t be offended. I’m just asking an honest question. Our true priorities are often revealed by what we gravitate toward during our discretionary time. We generally make time for the things that really matter most to us; or to put it another way, the things we worship.
God warns us not to worship anything created by man. That’s because worshiping Him is the best way to redeem the time.
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"Did you know a crocodile can’t stick out its tongue? Polar bears are left-handed? There are 336 dimples on a golf ball? A snail can sleep for 3 years?
All those facts are interesting but none of them are actionable. That is, we can’t do anything with that knowledge. There is a lot of information today that captures our attention and can consume many hours of our time, but what can we do with it? It is not actionable.
Reading crime details, learning what antics the Hollywood celebreties did last weekend, or analyzing every statistic on the sports page, may provide you with lots information, but what can you actually do with it? Before you read another book, news article or website, take a moment to ask, “Will this give me any actionable information?” or “What will I do as a result of this new information?” If it isn’t actionable, find something else that is.
And remember, the best souce of actionable information is always the Bible. Reading it always redeems the time.
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