One of the most-asked questions I receive from people who desire to serve or are currently serving as a bivocational/small-church pastor is, “How do you manage your time?”
Every minister wants to be able to recognize when to say, “No,” and when to say, “Yes.” My reply has always been the same, and that is: “Stop looking for opportunities to say, ‘No,’ and look for ways to say, ‘Yes.’”
Richard RayWhen I accepted the call to serve Christ as a minister, I never thought of saying, “no” to the many opportunities to serve him. I would jump at the opportunity to preach the Lord’s word, to serve the Lord’s church and to go on mission for him. When called into the ministry, I had five children and worked two jobs to provide for my family. My time was stretched between my occupation, coaching Little League, changing diapers, serving my church and making sure my wife was happy. Time was of little importance to me, because my time was never my own. It belonged to others. It belonged to Lord.
As I continued to grow in the ministry, I noticed that when I stopped managing my time, the Lord granted me time for my family and for myself. To manage the time the Lord has given us is to allow the Lord to manage it for us. Ephesians 5:15-17 tells us: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
When we try to manage our time, our life and even our family, then we walk as the unwise, and our life becomes managed by time. All of a sudden, we begin to make decisions based on time: Do we have enough time? Is it worth our time? Will it take away from our time.
However, when we are walking in the will of the Lord, then we are making the best use of the time the Lord has granted us. Who are we to manage something we cannot create or make more of? Time belongs to our Lord.
The question is this: “How do you manage your time?” Don’t! Let the Lord balance it for you as you carefully walk, making the best use of the time he has given you. If you can do that, then you will not be making decisions based on time, but based on the Lord’s will for your life. Allow the Lord, who created time, to manage it for you. He will not disappoint you, for the Bible tells me so.
Until next time, remember, God has called you to serve him, but God has not called you to serve alone. Visit our website (www.bivocational.com) for more information on how the Bivocational/Small Church Association can minister and pray for you.
Richard Ray is executive director of the Bivocational/Small Church Association and director of missions for the Tri-Rivers Baptist Area. You can reach him at [email protected].
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