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Time…
By Derrick | May 28, 2008
Tonight in our community group we discussed the question, “What does God require of our calendar?” We talked about what the Bible says about balancing work, family, and rest. Ironically we ran out of time before we could discuss the question of time commitments related to the church. It was an interesting discussion and we surveyed a vast amount of biblical teaching in a short time. I thought it would be helpful to crystallize a couple of key ideas and then to provide some specific principles regarding time management from Scripture. Keep reading, then feel free to leave your comments or questions.
I think there are three very important ideas to keep in mind:
1) God does speak on this issue, and we need to listen. How we spend our time is another way of describing how we live, which of course we all recognize is an important matter about which God has given us instruction.
2) People’s circumstances are different, therefore the specific application of biblical principles will look different among individuals. We must be careful not to judge intentions and motives, which would require information we do not know.
3) God’s standards and biblical principles are not subjective, though circumstances are different the principles we must apply are not. Though it is a personal issue to decide how best to spend your time, just because you decide something does not make it right. We must be willing to hear loving encouragement from others about how we spend our time. They might have insight into a biblical principle we have forgotten about.
So, remembering that the specific application of these principles will vary depending on a person’s circumstances, yet claiming that these are absolute principles that apply to everyone (disagree if you’d like), here I give you a random assortment of biblical principles regarding stewardship of time:
1. It is God who determines how much time we have and who gives us the work we have to do in that time. To say you are “too busy” to do something God requires is to express distrust in God’s sovereign plan or to mismanage the time you’ve been given.
2. We must be careful we don’t assume God requires us to do things that he has not in fact required us to do. Let the Scriptures be sufficient to teach you all that God requires. Somebody else’s guilt trip does not substitute for biblical conviction.
3. Work - it is good. In fact, we are called to do good works. Life is supposed to be productive. Laziness is not an option for Christians.
4. Work - it can be overdone. When workload is increased because of our desire to get rich, to prove our own self-worth or perform for someone else’s approval, it is wrong.
5. Though it is wrong to seek to become great, I think it is biblical to want to do great things. There is a difference. We ought to devote our time to doing great things, yet be content to never be considered great ourselves.
6. The reason why we must place limits on the work we do (see #4) is because rest is a biblical concept. God not only built cycles of rest into the rythm of creation but also commands us to rest.
7. Rest does not necessarily equal sleep. They are two different things, sometimes overlapping, sometimes not.
8. Sleeping too much is a mark of laziness (or illness). (What it means to “sleep too much” is very much dependent upon circumstances. Children, pregnant women, the ill, and some others obviously require more sleep than others. But, remember we’re talking about principles here, and as a principle sleeping too much is obviously a mark of laziness).
9. Biblical parenting requires time. See #4 above.
10. Biblical requirements for Christians to show love, to show hospitality, to serve others, etc. all require margin in our lives, as well as some intentionality in planning. If we fill our calendar with a job (or even family), and do not have room for hospitality, evangelism, and service then we have overscheduled something.
11. Family time and hospitality, evangelism, and service do not have to be exclusive. You can serve others while spending time with your family.
12. It’s okay to say no to more than drugs. You can’t do everything.
13. It’s okay to say yes. You ought to be doing certain things.
14. Work hard, enjoy life, serve others. If you are accepted through Christ you don’t have to devote your time to achieving God’s approval, rather you are set free to love and give and serve and work and rest, and to do so with great joy, trusting that God gives you the time you need to do the things you ought to do. Because of Jesus, Christians can “stop and smell the roses”, even as we’re busy serving our families, one another, and the nations with the gospel.
A selected list of biblical references (there are many more that could be added)-
Regarding work: Genesis 2:5-15; II Thessalonians 3:10-12; Colossians 3:23; I Timothy 6:9ff; plus all the Proverbs we read last week and the many NT passages that refer to the ”good works” we ought to do
Regarding rest: Psalm 127; Proverbs 6:10ff; Exodus 20:8-11; Exodus 16:22-30
Regarding parenting/family time: Deuteronomy 6:7-9; I Timothy 3:4; the whole premise of Proverbs which is a father instructing his son (a task that takes time)
Regarding our responsibilities to others/the church: love - Titus 2:4; Ephesians 5:28; II John 1:5; I John 3 and 4; Galatians 5:13-14; other things - Hebrews 6:10; 10:24-27, 13:1-3; Ephesians 5:19; Acts 15:3, 4; I Corinthians 11:18 (some of those passages speak about the church in a way that assumes the church gathers together - a church that doesn’t gather together is an oxymoron; the idea that the church is dispersed into the world during the week and we all “take the church with us” or some such notion is only partially true, but that’s a topic for another time)
Topics: Community Groups, Time, Work |
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