Deep Dive into Habits of Grace by David Mathis - The Clock
Christian time management is fundamentally characterized by disciplined, intentional stewardship driven by love for others and governed by humble submission to God’s sovereignty. The Bible commends intentionally making the best use of time, recognizing that time is infinitely more precious than money. Stewarding one's "short and few days as gifts from God" is the path to wisdom, a goal achieved by praying for God's help to number our days.
The core principle is that love fulfills God’s law, and sanctifying time means using it in acts of love to glorify God through serving the neighbor. Because time is not our own, scheduling must reflect God's ownership.
Effective Christian planning requires balancing proactive labor and reactive flexibility. Proactive good involves scheduling rigid blocks for one's professional calling—the "big stones" or key priorities designed to expend energy for others' good—to ensure fruitfulness. Reactive good requires building generous margin into the schedule to meet the unplanned and urgent needs of others. If a schedule lacks rigidity, proactive work falters; if it lacks flexibility, one is unavailable for love.
Practically, this involves considering one's present calling and tackling demanding tasks first thing in the morning, when one is sharpest and interruptions are fewest. Maximizing mornings frees the believer for flexibility and unscheduled acts of love later in the day.
However, intentionality must be coupled with humility. James chastises the arrogance of rigid planning, instructing believers to always say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that," acknowledging that life is a fleeting mist. The opposite pitfall of neglect is being consumed by calendars, or "Productivity porn," which focuses on vigilantly guarding one's schedule from others’ needs. This "god of time management" will ultimately fail. For time wasted in the past, regret should drive one to Jesus, inspiring faith and intentionality for the remaining days, trusting in Christ's hourly mercies.
Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian
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