Spring Break
Pastoral advice on time management
Making the most of one's time involves prioritizing and planning
By: Matt Morton
Issue date: 6/23/09 Section: Features
Extra free time. Fewer responsibilities. Greater freedom. When I think of the summer, I think of these benefits and many more. During my college years, summer was a time for road trips and relaxation, sleepin' in and goin' out, cross-cultural adventures and interesting work right here at home. Many of us have the opportunity during college to choose how and where we will spend our summers, a choice that we are seldom given in our adult years.
Along with the freedoms of summer, however, there are also risks. Certainly we face obvious dangers like car accidents, money problems, and illness. There is another risk, however, that is more subtle but also more dangerous: wasting away our lives.
If you were to list your top fears in life, wasting time might not be near the top. Our lives, though, are composed of nothing but time. How we choose to spend that time constitutes the very essence of our lives. Benjamin Franklin stated it well: "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of."
How can we make good choices with our time so that we can look back on our summer days with satisfaction and joy rather than with regret and shame? How can we avoid not only obvious dangers, but also the soul-destroying tragedy of wasting our lives? Here are a few thoughts:
Know your priorities. Your priorities for your life determine how you spend your time. If your highest goal is to have fun at all costs, then you will make decisions accordingly, and face the resulting consequences. I am a Christian, so the Bible tells me that my highest goal is to live in a way that honors Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians: "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." This means that every part of my life, private and public, is supposed to be consistent with that priority. Although I am imperfect, remembering my highest priority helps to keep me focused. Do your priorities allow you to make wise choices with your time? Write out your life's priorities and arrange your time and decisions accordingly.
Plan your time intentionally.The writer of Proverbs says, "The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty surely comes to poverty." Good choices usually do not just "happen." Our lives require planning so that we make decisions consistent with our values and priorities. Decide in advance how to fill your time in productive ways in order to avoid bad choices. Set aside time to read, to help others, to grow spiritually, to prepare for your career, or to invest in good relationships. Thinking ahead can help us avoid bad choices, wasted time, and unproductive lives.
Listen to good advice. Again we can turn to Proverbs: "Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed." Seek input from spiritual leaders, wise friends, your parents or other mentors who can help you sort through your decisions. They probably have helpful advice on whether you should take a trip, pursue an internship, stay for summer school or get a job. The key is to talk with those who have a proven track record of making good and productive decisions.
I hope that the decisions you make about your time this summer lead you to activities of significance and productivity. I pray that your priorities will reflect those of the One who created you. Finally, may your memories of this summer be filled with good things.
Matt Morton is College Pastor at Grace Bible Church
Along with the freedoms of summer, however, there are also risks. Certainly we face obvious dangers like car accidents, money problems, and illness. There is another risk, however, that is more subtle but also more dangerous: wasting away our lives.
If you were to list your top fears in life, wasting time might not be near the top. Our lives, though, are composed of nothing but time. How we choose to spend that time constitutes the very essence of our lives. Benjamin Franklin stated it well: "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of."
How can we make good choices with our time so that we can look back on our summer days with satisfaction and joy rather than with regret and shame? How can we avoid not only obvious dangers, but also the soul-destroying tragedy of wasting our lives? Here are a few thoughts:
Know your priorities. Your priorities for your life determine how you spend your time. If your highest goal is to have fun at all costs, then you will make decisions accordingly, and face the resulting consequences. I am a Christian, so the Bible tells me that my highest goal is to live in a way that honors Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians: "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." This means that every part of my life, private and public, is supposed to be consistent with that priority. Although I am imperfect, remembering my highest priority helps to keep me focused. Do your priorities allow you to make wise choices with your time? Write out your life's priorities and arrange your time and decisions accordingly.
Plan your time intentionally.The writer of Proverbs says, "The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty surely comes to poverty." Good choices usually do not just "happen." Our lives require planning so that we make decisions consistent with our values and priorities. Decide in advance how to fill your time in productive ways in order to avoid bad choices. Set aside time to read, to help others, to grow spiritually, to prepare for your career, or to invest in good relationships. Thinking ahead can help us avoid bad choices, wasted time, and unproductive lives.
Listen to good advice. Again we can turn to Proverbs: "Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed." Seek input from spiritual leaders, wise friends, your parents or other mentors who can help you sort through your decisions. They probably have helpful advice on whether you should take a trip, pursue an internship, stay for summer school or get a job. The key is to talk with those who have a proven track record of making good and productive decisions.
I hope that the decisions you make about your time this summer lead you to activities of significance and productivity. I pray that your priorities will reflect those of the One who created you. Finally, may your memories of this summer be filled with good things.
Matt Morton is College Pastor at Grace Bible Church
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