The primary filter for how we invest time is the mission God has given us.
Years ago, God made clear that the mission of my life boiled down to two words: Multiplying multipliers. If I use my time doing activities that don’t contribute to that mission, I’m being a poor steward of God’s calling on my life.
This can be a challenge for many people in ministry. The strong pull to love and serve people can create an emotional tension to do things that don’t align with God’s will. I’m convinced that many people in ministry are overly stressed because they’re doing activities God has not asked them to do.
This is why I tell young leaders that time management is not just a logical activity. It’s an emotional and spiritual activity. Planning your day is a very straightforward and logical task. But, planning your day should not happen apart from asking God what He would have you invest your time in that day.
During the day, the emotional pull to please others can take you away from the thing God has called you to do. Saying ‘no’ is an emotional decision for many. Jesus didn’t let the emotional pull of people-pleasing determine how he invested his time. If it was okay for Jesus to say ‘no’ to people, I think we are safe to do so as well.
Mark 1 is a unique snapshot of Jesus because Mark shows us 24 hours in Jesus’ life. That morning Jesus and his disciples went to the synagogue where He taught. Next, they went to Peter’s mother in laws house where undoubtedly they had a meal. Peter’s mother-in-law was sick, so Jesus spent time with her and healed her. Late that afternoon, crowds showed up at the house, and Jesus spent the evening healing many people. The next morning Jesus gets up early to pray. Crowds show up early that morning looking for Jesus to heal and teach. When the disciples found Him and demanded he come back to the masses, Jesus said ‘No’.
He told them, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Mark 1:38 (N.I.V.)
He based his decision on the mission the Father had given him, not the needs of the people around him. That is a spiritually mature perspective of the use of time.
Lou Holtz, the famous Notre Dame football coach, taught his players to use the acronym W.I.N. It stands for ‘What’s Important Now’? Holtz would remind his players to ask themselves this question twenty give to thirty-five times a day.
I’ve found identifying your WINS each day is a great discipline. Each morning I end my time with God with the same question. What are the 3 most essential WINS for today? I write those in my journal, and at the end of the day, I mark each one Green, for completed; Yellow for partially completed. Or Red for not completed.
Writing these out in the morning and evaluating them at the end of the day has been a great discipline to help me in my efforts to be a mission-focused leader and WIN my days.
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