Time management is something we all struggle with. It is something that God has put on my heart lately, and so I thought I’d write a few posts about it. I’m hoping that this will be the first in a series on godly time management.

The Slippery Slope

Peacemaker Ministries in their description of conflict management uses the illustration of a slippery slope. At either end are the two extremes, murder and suicide, and in the middle is the most godly option, mediation. They use this analogy because it is extremely hard to consistently turn to that middle part of the slope, the godly part. I think that this concept can be applied to many things other than just conflict. One of these is time management.

The Slippery Slope of Time Management has the same layout as the Peacemaker’s Slope. At one end of the spectrum is the extreme of being totally sluggardly, while the extreme of completely over-scheduling yourself is at the other end. In the middle is the ever-elusive middle ground of the godly balance between having too much and too little to do.

Too Little

The problem of having too little to do is the problem most typically thought of. It is the problem of the sluggard. I think that this comes too our minds so readily because Scripture very clearly condemns it. Proverbs, especially Proverbs 6:6 and following, particularly speaks out against slothfulness. However, the New Testament also denounces sluggards. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12, “We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.” Idleness here is shown to be a negative character trait.

But what is idleness exactly? The American Heritage Dictionary defines idle as “not employed; inactive.” This is undeniably part of the meaning, but I think there’s more. I would extend the term “idleness” to include occupation with unworthy occupations. One example that seems to be suggested by 2 Thessalonians 3:11 is gossip. I would assert that idleness includes purposeless tasks, tasks that do nothing other than use up time.

Too Much

The issue of being too busy is one that is less commonly noticed. Nevertheless, I believe that it is a problem that is just as, if not more, prevalent, especially in our culture’s busy mindset. We say yes to commitments until we have no time to spare (then we lament our schedules, forgetting that we brought it on ourselves).

But why do we do it? I think we do it mainly out of a fear of being too slothful. We are so terrified of wasting time that book ourselves to the point of wasting time on the commitments we have, because we don’t have the time to do them well or to revel in them.

Although we don’t often notice it, Scripture does speak to this problem. In Exodus 20:9-10, God ordains the Sabbath day, a day of rest. Psalm 46:10a says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Read it again. We are supposed to be still. Read ArrowUp’s theme verse (found at the top of the sidebar). This verse speaks to the issue as well, though indirectly. If our lives are too full, we cannot do our responsibilities well, and if we don’t do things as well as we can, we are not glorifying God fully and thus not fulfilling our calling.

Warning Signs

This is a fairly new idea for me, an idea that I will hopefully develop in the coming weeks. I have come up with warning signs for each end of the spectrum.

Too Little
1.) Being always or frequently bored
2.) Having large amounts of time unoccupied
3.) Spending large amounts of time on unworthy occupations
4.) Feeling unproductive at the end of the day

Too Much
1.) Sleep Deprivation
2.) Not having time to rest
3.) Not having time for deep communion with God

This is by no means a comprehensive list. If you have any suggestions, just leave them in a comment, and I’ll add them to the list.

~Jayan