So Much To Do, So Much Mismanaged Time...

Life has been quite busy these days. Its taken a while to get myself prioritized and on track. In fact, I'm not 100% certain that I am entirely "on track" these days, but... its getting better.

Jennie and I have started studying John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life. I picked up the small group study at Piper's church (Bethlehem Baptist in Minneapolis). The title leapt out at me as I perused the bookstore.

I thoroughly believe the Bible is the most economical book on the face of this earth. There is not one word wasted, not one syllable of filler. Every line has meaning, every word important. We skip over so many seemingly unimportant details in Scripture. For instance, did you ever wonder why John (in telling us about the miraculous catch of fish when Jesus reappears to the disciples) goes into the great detail of explaining that, "Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn" (John 21:11, NIV). I mean, look at that... they are not just any fish, they are large fish. And there are not a lot of them. There are not multitudes of them. There are not over a hundred. There are, precisely, 153 of them. (None of them, by the way, being used by Jesus to cook their breakfast.)

Here is my point. God is not a waster. Everything with Christ has purpose, meaning and reason. He lived His life with great meaning. Jesus was focused: He had a purpose, and He fulfilled it - without getting sidetracked or derailed. Troubles didn't trip Him. Busyness of life didn't ruffle Him. Opposition didn't slow Him. He stayed on topic, stayed the course, stayed steady and steadfast. He knew when to rest and eat and pray. He knew when to get away and recharge His batteries. He knew when to hit the road.

I look at my life, how I spend / burn my time. And I'm not happy.

Not happy at all.

Life is busy enough with school and work and teaching and family and... and... and... And there is so much more I want to do - so much more ministry, teaching, learning, writing... Yes, there must be time for rest and regeneration and prayer. Still... I could do better.

I could do much better.

I hope to do much better.

"I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." - 1 Corinthians 9:23-25 (NIV).

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
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