1. Be positive

Time is God's gift and you have all the time you need to do His will for you. Jesus was busy, but unhurried, and did what God had ordained Him to do. So can we, if we are good stewards of our time. We can always make time for things that are important (Philippians 4:13).

2. Know what is important

For example, loving the Lord is more important than your work, your ministry, your church, your car, your garden, your pet, your fishing, your weekend, your cooking, your overtime, your gossip, your tennis, your TV, your etc. You may love and serve the church without loving the Lord. Remember "He is your first love". Pleasing God is more important than saying "yes" to the demands of others. Pleasing God is more important than pleasing men by saying what they want to hear. Remember "a medicine may taste bitter, but it's effect is sweet". The "truth" in preaching is a medicine, sometimes with a bitter taste (John 8:32).

3. Know your goals, your gifts and your limits (1 Cor 12:1-12)

Write them down. As you grow, they may change. What are your spiritual desires? What God has provided you? Did He provide you a bible, christian materials, a preacher, a teach you could listen to and ask (Mark 6:33-34). What are your gifts? Have you opened them and used them? (Luke 19:11-27) Have you thanked God for it? In what way? What are your limits? Ask God for strength. But there is no use for God to strengthen you if you won't use it.

4. List your priorities (Luke 9:57-62)

What is important and/or urgent. What is urgent may not be important. What is important may not be urgent. Compile a daily "to do" list. Get moving. Put your faith into action.

5. Plan

Good planning saves time and effort (Luke 14:25-33). "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

Planning is (1) thinking backwards, (2) what has to be done, (3) by whom, (4) with what resources, (5) by what dates, (6) goal to be realized.

"Planning is bringing the future into present so that you can do something about it now."

6. Take breaks - have a rest but not too much

Never think of resting as a poor use of time. Proper resting will make you more effective.

7. Have a quiet time with the Lord!

Talk to Him, but you should give Him a chance to talk to you. He's talking when you're reading/meditating on His Word, when you're listening to Gospel songs, when you're listening to a preacher or Bible teacher or sharers. Are you giving Him time to talk to you?

8. Learn to manage interruptions

"...you make your plans, but God directs your actions" (Prov 16:9). Some of those interruptions are laden with golden opportunity. Throughout Jesus' life, you will find that most things came glorious out of an interruption (Luke 8:40-48).

9. Be on time - always

God was never late for you. Whenever you go for the Lord's work, it is your appointment with the Lord. When He tells you to go there, He will meet you there. So, be on time. Christian time is God's time, perfect and sharp.

10. Now, ask yourself

"What is the best use of my time right now?" What are my time wasters? Remember "who kills time, murders opportunity".

Do you spend more time talking about the glory of God, or the faults of others? Are you spreading the Word of God, or words of men?

"Those who make the worst use of their time most complain of its shortness."

God has given us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 168 hours a week, 10,080 minutes a week. Out of 10,080 minutes He has given you, how much do you give to him?

God is perfect, and He is perfect when He gave us 24 hours a day, 10,080 minutes a week. Now, tell me, what kind of time do you have? Praise God for His steadfast love, they are new every morning (Lamentation 3:23).

There is no joy in having nothing to do for the Lord, the joy is having lots to do for the Lord.

"He makes all things beautiful in His TIME."

"I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

"I love you with the love of the Lord."

In His Grip,

Pastor Rolly