"How often have you heard the phrase, Don't just sit there, do something. While that may be good advice in some situations, the fact is that one of the most beneficial ways to use time is simply to sit and think.
One reason some people find it difficult to think is because they haven't had any experience at it. The tendency today is to busy ourselves with so much activity we never have time to stop and focus our thoughts on what we are really trying to accomplish. Prayerfully thinking through a situation allows us to take inventory of what we are doing and where we are heading. It gives God an opportunity to speak to us in a still small voice and give us direction.
The psalmist wrote, be still and know that I am God. Yes, we can know that God is there as we are involved in normal activities but there is a special blessing in sitting and thinking.
So don't just do something, sit there, and redeem the time.
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We often hear the comment, “Everything is so fast paced. I wish we could get back to a simpler lifestyle.” When that comment is made usually everyone nods in agreement. I agree too. But the real question is “What would a “simpler” lifestyle actually look like?”
Some time ago a group of young people visited a church where I was speaking. I noticed them because they looked like they had been camping and hadn’t had a chance to bathe for a few days. As I began to speak to one of them over lunch, he informed me that they were a group of “nomadic” Christians. When I asked what that meant, he explained how they simply drifted from one town to another without possessions or jobs simply trusting God to take care of them.
After asking a few more questions I discovered they were really just leaching off soft-hearted churches and shunning the responsibility of work. Remember, simplicity must be balanced with responsibility if we’re to redeem the time.
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"The author of a recent book on business success observes how today’s business leaders often have the habit of looking for quick fixes for their companies. Seth Godlin observes, “You don’t win an Olympic medal with a few weeks of intensive training. There’s no such thing as an overnight opera sensation. Great law firms or design companies don’t spring up overnight…Every great company, every great brand, and every great career has been built exactly the same way: bit by bit, step by step, little by little.” He sums up his philosophy by saying, “We need to stop shopping for lightning bolts.”
I believe his advice is right on target for businessmen, but it’s also good for us as Christians. Conversion is an event that happens in a moment of time when a repentant sinner places his faith in Jesus Christ.
But living the Christian life, and becoming successful in what God calls you to do, requires the daily discipline of doing the right thing even when you don’t feel like it and redeeming the time.
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Biblical time management is really all about striking the right balance in the different areas of life. For example, some people continually feast and celebrate, while others scoff at such indulgence and boast of ho long it’s been since they took a vacation.
God, however, gives us a pattern in Scripture of consistent, steady, daily, sacrificial living interspersed with periodic seasons of celebration. For example, God has strong cautions against those who would live a lavish lifestyle. But Jesus certainly participated in the wedding feasts of his day.
The Hebrew people were hard workers as a matter of daily routine. But God established certain holidays to come apart from routine work and focus on Him and on eternity. In our day, this might translate into going the extra mile on the job today so we can afford to take the family to a nice summer Bible conference.
Remember, balancing frugal living and diligent labor with seasons of celebration is a good formula for redeeming the time.
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