LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS – JANUARY 2004

In this issue some thoughts on time from me, more thoughts on time from Richard Doebler

Paul Arnott

State Director

CMS Victoria.

Making time

Robert Banks writes in his book the Tyranny of Time that the more we want to achieve in life the less time we will have. It sounds so obvious that it’s hardly worth saying. However, if it is so obvious how is it that we have such difficulty ordering our time? The conclusion I have reached is that most of us want to do too much. Our culture doesn’t help us much as we live in a society which is more busy and driven than ever before. Another related issue with which we struggle, especially those of us who are male is being realistic about how much we can achieve in a certain period of time. Often I think I can do far more in a day than I can. Often I need two days to achieve what I have set myself to do in one. There are a myriad of schemes these days to help us become more efficient in our use of time. However, all these methods of using time better are worthless if we haven’t decided on our priorities. Life on earth goes very quickly. I’m 53. It seems only yesterday that I was growing up in Hobart and yet it was in fact 40 years ago. Time goes fast. My goals have become more realistic as I’ve grown older. I still want to see the glory of the Lord revealed all over the earth (Isaiah 40.5). But I am now more focused about how that might be achieved. I know that the work I do enables the ministries of missionaries in 26 countries around the world to help achieve God’s purposes. That’s good. I rejoice in being able to play a small part in God’s salvation purposes for the human race. However, it wasn’t until I was able to clearly articulate the things that were really important to me that this all fell into place. Before you are thrown back into the hurly burly of life in 2004 make time to ask yourself what are the most important things in your life and how are you going to achieve them?

Tempus Fidget How I handle diversions and distractions. by Richard Doebler

It was one of those defining moments-a moment of enlightenment.

I was eighteen and wanted to entertain my five-year-old brother, so I offered to take him to the rides at the county fair. With twenty-one dollars in my pocket, I was the model big brother.

Through the gate into the fairgrounds we went, past the farm implements, the livestock barns, the hot dog and popcorn stands, the craft buildings with jams and quilts. We had one thing on our minds: the rides. The towering Ferris wheel marked our destination.

Unfortunately, we didn’t make it. A distraction diverted us. Just past the gaming area I heard a hawker call my name. Or so I thought. I spun around to see who was calling, and a man in a booth beckoned me over.

Suffice it to say that within five minutes he had most of my money, and I was still five points away from winning the stuffed panda.

That’s when I came to my senses. I was angry at the hawker, but mostly I was angry with myself. I’d lost seventeen dollars and several rides for my brother. But I learned a lesson: Distractions can sidetrack you from your goal.

The Bible tells us to live wisely by making the most of our opportunities and by understanding God’s will:

Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is (Eph. 5:15-17).

Three time-management principles emerge from these verses:

1. Know your destination. Discover God’s will and purpose, and you’ll use your time more effectively. If God wants us in Dallas, we’re wasting our time traveling to the Grand Canyon or the rocky faces of Mount Rushmore.

2. Make the most of every opportunity. We can create opportunities when we have to, but if we’re ready for them when the come, we save time. Bear Bryant, Alabama’s famous football coach, told of his early days at Kentucky. His team fumbled the ball in front of the bench, and in the resulting scramble someone kicked over a box containing eight more footballs. A free-for-all ensued, with Tennessee recovering five balls and Kentucky four. The officials gave possession to Tennessee. The moral: When the ball comes bouncing your way, grab it. Seize every opportunity that comes along.

3. Be careful how you live. Wiser now, I’m not distracted by hawkers at the fair. But urgent needs still try to distract me from my main purpose and vision. When we manage our time effectively, we will work at not allowing the urgent to keep us from what is most important.

Richard Doebler is a pastor in Cloquet, Minnesota.

Leadership Insights is produced in the offices of CMS Victoria http://www.vic.cms.org.au