Time

In primitive societies no one has a watch,
but everyone has time.
In advanced societies, everyone has a watch,
but no one has any time.
— Gerhard Geschwandtner

Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
— Psalm 90:12

Most ministers I know feel like they don't have enough time each day to do all the things they are expected to do. At a time management seminar, the speaker pointed out how the average person will waste many hours in the span of a normal life: Opening junk mail: 8 months.

• Sitting at stop lights: 6 months.
• Searching for misplaced objects: 1 year.
• Trying to return phone calls to people who never seem to be in: 2 years.
• Standing in line: 5 years.

After hearing the speaker, I have tried to use the following to manage may time well: The test of necessity, appropriateness, and efficiency.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "One of the illusions of life is that the present hour is not the critical, decisive hour. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year." Taking a cue from Emerson, we would probably get more accomplished by realizing that every minute represents an eternal investment of our lives and the lives of others.

Do "time thieves" pop up throughout your day? Ask God to show you during what times of the day you are most likely to succumb to these thieves. Value each moment as a gift from the Lord.

Taken from The Minister's Little Devotional Book.
Copyright © 1997 by H.B. London Jr. and Stan Toler.
Used by permission of RiverOak Publishing, Tulsa, Okla.
All rights reserved.