We ought not ask the question, “ Where in the world has the time gone?” This rhetorical question simply misstates the case. Time doesn’t depart the scene. It simply passes at the rate it always has while we accomplish far less than perhaps we should have. Probably we should ask the question, “ How could I have planned so poorly and have left so much to be done in so little time?” Or we protest, “ I don’t have the time.” How often have you said that? How wrong that statement is! We all have time. Instead, we should admit that the proposal is not sufficiently important in our priorities to warrant taking time for it. We always make time for things that are important enough. The Christian executive must be meticulously careful in his selection of priorities. If it be, as was the case with President Kennedy, ambition to excel, there must be both selection and rejection, and then concentration on the things of paramount importance. Time is an asset which we cannot afford to waste, yet all of us waste considerable amounts of it daily. What is waste of time? We can think of it as hours that are not spent in work or in recreation or in sleep or in constructive thinking. Wasted time may show itself in such things as stalling before beginning a job, doing useless things, or in idle gossip. Or, again, we may waste time by having to explain why we have not gotten around to do the thing that we should be doing. In establishing priorities, which are so vitally im portant in the management of time, we need, first of all, to determine the sequence— the order in which we are to accomplish the things to be done. Secondly, catalogue these items. Third, combine them under the various categories. We can ask, for example, these basic questions: what work demands my best? what work depends upon other people? what work must definitely be done by me alone? what work is purely routine? We ought to make a plan to accomplish each activity. On each major assignment, ask yourself six questions: Why? Ask the question why and you may eliminate the job altogether. What? Ask the question what and you may simpli fy the work. Who? Ask this and you may find someone else available to do it. Where? We may combine the place or the se quence. When? We may postpone it, or step up the sched ule. How? We may improve or make shortcuts. Many executives complain that they are so busy fighting the fires of emergencies that they don’t have time to do any planning. How far ahead should we plan our Work? The American Management Associa tion suggests that we should spend about 40 percent of our thinking time on problems that come up the same day; 40 percent on those problems likely to 21
president— author or housewife— farmer or preacher — the clocks we buy, the watches we wear, run at the same rate. And we must get the most out of it. Our Lord lived the span of only 33^2 years. Yet think of the quality of the time investment of His life! Much is said and preached about the stewardship of wealth and possessions. Every minister has his stewardship sermons relating to finances, tithing and offerings. Less is said about the stewardship of talent. Little is said concerning the stewardship of time. Nevertheless we will be held accountable before God in eternity for our use of the time He has given to us. We will be held accountable as Christian servants for the time invested— or lost— as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul says, “ Make the best possible use of your time” (Col. 4:5, Phillips). The pioneer missionary, Robert Moffatt, con firmed this when he said, “ We shall have all eternity in which to celebrate our victories, but we have only one short hour before the sunset in which to win them.” Time Is a test. It has been given to us for the purpose of having an encounter with the living God. However famous a man may be, however great his wealth, or whatever contribution he may have made to literature or science— if he has not come into a vital conversion experience with the Lord Jesus Christ, he has lived in vain. Thus, time becomes an appoint ment with Christ. This is the reason the Bible says, “Now is the accepted time.” Time is urgency. Our Lord Jesus felt it, “ I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4). Our supply of time is totally inelastic. The only variable available to us is the use we make of the finite supply of time. It is as important for Christians to budget the time we have as it is for us to budget the money we have to spend. All of us in Christian service are keenly conscious of the limits on our fiscal affairs and our monetary budgets. We are care ful to budget our finances. We ought to be even more careful in the budgeting of our time. Time is given to us by God as a tool to be used by us in His service. Peter Drucker, an authority in the field of man agement, has said, “ Time management takes per severance and self-discipline, but no other investment pays higher dividends." Remember— we will never find time to do any thing. If we want time, we must budget it from what we have available. We don’t find time; we redeem it. Many roads are open to our choice every pass ing minute. Shall we do this or that? Will this wait or that wait? We dare not stall. Even stalling uses up valuable time. So when we choose between alterna tives in the use of time, this is evidence of one of the highest attributes we possess— the freedom of our will. OCTOBER, 1970
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