"Baskin Robins
Two little robins sat perched in a tree as a farmer plowed his field leaving behind rows of delicious worms in the fresh soil. As the farmer left, they immediately began feasting upon the vulnerable little creatures. They ate so many they soon found their stuffed bodies couldn’t even fly so they decided to lie down and bask in the hot sun. Moments later a cat sprang out from the bushes and devoured the little sunbathers. As he finished the last morsel he said to himself..mmm ...I sure do like baskin robins!
There are things we like and things we don’t like. Redeeming the time means learning to do the things we are supposed to do when we are supposed to do them regardless of what we like or don’t like. The path of least resistance seldom if ever leads to God’s best. God’s best requires discipline and sacrifice in our use of time. Self control and self denial are not optional add-ons to the Christian life. Not only are they keys to good time management but they’re vital to spiritual growth even when they mean avoiding “baskin robins”.
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"An efficiency expert concluded his lecture to a group of businessmen with a note of caution. ""You don't want to try these techniques at home.""
""Why not?"" asked somebody from the audience.
""I watched my wife's routine at breakfast for years,"" the expert explained. ""She made lots of trips between the refrigerator, stove, table and cabinets, often carrying a single item at a time. One day
I told her, 'Hon, why don't you try carrying several things at once?'""
""Did it save time?"" the guy in the audience asked.
""Actually, yes,"" replied the expert. ""It used to take her 20 minutes to make breakfast. Now I do it in seven.""
Well, just doing things more efficiently doesn’t necessarily make for good time management. A much better approach to time management is to concentrate on effectiveness. Efficiency focuses on doing things right. Effectiveness focuses on doing the right things, the things God wants us to do. And that’s a much better way to redeem the time.
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"Biblical archaeologists recently made an amazing discovery. For centuries many people had wondered why it took 40 years for the children of Israel to make the short journey from Egypt to the promised land. Now we know. The archaeologists discovered that they had all male leadership in those days and no one wanted to stop and ask directions.
That little joke reveals a lot about how we men often think. We’d rather drive around a strange city an hour looking for a destination that to stop at a convenience store and ask the lady cashier for directions. Yet simply stopping for directions could be God’s way of putting you in touch with someone God wants you to speak to or leave a Gospel tract with.
Asking directions saves time and money we would have spent on unnecessary travel. It also gives us an opportunity to develop meekness and humility, character qualities we could all use more of.
So remember, next time you get lost, stopping to ask directions is the best way to redeem the time.
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" A FRAYED KNOT
A piece of string went into a restaurant for coffee, when the manager stopped him at the door shouting “we don’t serve your kind here!” The string was so distraught he went outside, wrapped himself in a knot and frayed himself at both ends. Determined not to be denied, he went back to the restaurant where the manager eyed him carefully and asked, “aren’t you that same piece of string I just kicked out of here?” To which the string replied, “No, I’m a frayed knot.”
Those words, “No I’m afraid not”, can be very valuable in managing time. People who would never think of asking you for money will frequently request a more valuable resource, your time. Committees, projects, and lots of good causes can quickly consume our time and keep us from God’s best.
Be wise today to discern which activity will do the most to advance the Kingdom of God, encourage your family and use the gifts and talents God has given you. When asked to help with something that doesn’t fit, remember those valuable words, “I’m afraid not”, and redeem the time.
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