Time Management Done God’s Way

1 Comment December 6, 2017 Jim Duggan

Lately, I’ve read so much about time management that I seem to have no time left to do much else.

I’ve read about taking a few moments at the close of each day to plan the next. Also, I’ve read about the value of planning the next week, month, and even the next year.

I agree wholeheartedly with the writers, and I find I am more effective when I plan. But interruptions occur and often the days do not follow the plans. Other times I am not as diligent and intentional and I waste some of the time I have.

God’s Time Management

[Tweet ” I have marveled at what a great time manager God is. “]

December 4, 2017 Jim Duggan

Without setting margins, my typing would result in a jumbled mess.

In a post last week, I encouraged you to set margins in your daily routine. I think our life margins are more important than our typing margins. Without them, we will make a jumbled mess of our lives.

When writing, margins provide structure and aesthetic coherence. They keep us from scattering words all over the page in rambling fashion. Margins provide the perspective into which we place our thoughts in the medium of words.

The same holds true in life. Margins help us view our lives through the proper perspective. Without margins, our lives tend to make less sense, and more resemble a mass of disjointed coincidences and unrelated circumstances.

[Tweet “Intentionally establishing margin times will prevent us from marginal living.”]

Types of Margins

A life margin is intentional time we set aside to rest, reflect, and renew spiritually, mentally, and physically. We need several different types of life margins.

November 29, 2017 Jim Duggan

I’ll go ahead and confess: there are times I ask God “why?”

I know some of you will stop reading right here because you think it wrong to question God. No one has shown me where in the Bible we find that particular prohibition. I have a hunch that it’s not there at all; it’s a man-made adage.

In the Bible, God encourages us to ask Him questions.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” – James 1:5

Not only does God encourage us to ask Him questions, but also promises to answer “without reproach.” That means that He will not scold us for questioning Him.

November 26, 2017 Jim Duggan

At some point, we have to stop the madness. We have to change the pace.

That truth hit home to me the day after Thanksgiving as we drove home from our family visits. At first the westward drive home was a challenge with the sun in my eyes. But as sun met horizon, God allowed me to watch a beautiful sunset and enjoy the most peaceful dusk sky.

Slumbering passengers and sparse traffic provided me the opportunity to ponder the significance of the scene God placed before me. I found myself longing for the quiet peace of a country evening. I imagined myself living in a place where I could watch such a scene every night from a back porch.

[Tweet “Life can make us feel like we’re walking up the stairs and everyone else is riding the escalator. “]

The Pace of Everyday Life

We live at an unhealthy pace. As I enjoyed the peaceful drive, I couldn’t help but think of the contrast to everyday life. Stress and anxiety plague too many of us. Many people I know feel an uneasy sense of inadequacy.

Pass that car. Beat that traffic light. Get the last word. Don’t get even, get ahead. Make the deadline. Do better. Buy this. Win. Achieve. Hurry. Faster. More. Yes, at some point we have to stop the madness.

Maybe you feel the squeeze too. Life can make us feel like we’re walking up the stairs and everyone else is riding the escalator. We long for the peace and serenity of a country sunset, but we live in the blistering pace of high noon.

Letting Go of the Pace

As I soaked in the scene before me, God reminded me of a familiar Bible verse.

Be still and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth. – Psalm 46:10

“Be still.” Literally the verb means “relax the hands, let go, stop doing what you are doing.” Stop the rat race. Quit trying to be first, better, richer, faster. Chill out. Change the pace.

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How Often Do We Miss the Amazing?

October 25, 2017 Jim Duggan

Unless we are willing to divert our attention from the ordinary, we will miss God’s extraordinary.My mind often wanders, but sadly, it seldom wonders. It is amazing how seldom I am amazed.

I fear that slowly we are losing our capacity for amazement. A couple of reasons contribute to our wondering wandering.

First, we lead overly busy lives. We do not slow down enough to notice what is going on around us. Additionally, media – social and traditional – have over-exposed us to the sensational. Let’s face it. Nothing surprises us anymore.

The sad truth is that we miss so much of what God is doing around us. God is constantly revealing His glory through His activity around us and we are mostly oblivious.

[Tweet “We miss so much of what God is doing around us.”]

October 22, 2017 jimdug12

Sunday marked the 3 year anniversary. On the afternoon of October 22, 2014, I pondered what had just happened. By God’s grace I defaulted to Scripture.

I had counseled people to turn to God’s Word in their times of greatest need. And then in my time of need, God graciously sent me to His Word. The passage He set before me was 2 Corinthians 1:3-4:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

God reminded me that not only is He an all-knowing God, but He also is a purposeful God. He even finds a purpose for our pain. God comforted me that day with the knowledge that He would use my experience to prepare me to help others who may one day experience the same thing. My hurt was real, and it ran real deep; but God’s grace dives deeper than any depth to which our heart can plunge.

[Tweet “[God] even finds a purpose for our pain.”]

Lessons I Learned from My Pain

Why Do You Follow Jesus?

October 19, 2017 Jim Duggan

follow Why do you follow Jesus?

That sounds like such a simple question, and most would answer with the typical “because He is my Savior.” We have learned that answer and give it without a second thought.

But what if you really thought about it? What if someone challenged you to prove your answer? You see, I think many people follow Jesus because of what they want Him to do for them. Don’t let my hypothesis offend you. After all, Jesus had those kinds of followers in HIs days on earth also.

[Tweet “Many people follow Jesus because of what they want Him to do for them.”]

When Winning Is Really Losing

October 17, 2017 Jim Duggan

winning Matt Emmons had already won one Gold Medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. One final shot remained for him winning another Gold Medal victory when he made the oddest and most costly of mistakes.

One of the surest shots in Olympic rifle history, Matt held a commanding lead going into the final round. All he had to do was hit the target. Somewhere. Anywhere. Just hit the target. He took his usual deep breath as he viewed the target through the sight on his rifle. Slowly, he pulled the trigger and fired a bullseye on the target in Lane 3. The problem? Lane 2 was his target. He fired a great shot, but at the wrong target.

Taking Aim

Unfortunately, I have made the same mistake in regular life, and I know many others have as well. We celebrate our victories in battles that were either unnecessary or unimportant. We can easily fool ourselves into think we are doing great when we look at these victories. However, these hollow temporal victories keep us from the more important eternal battles.

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Stupid Question, Or Not?

October 15, 2017 Jim Duggan

“Well, THAT was a stupid question.”

Most people hesitate to ask a question for fear their question is stupid. MOST of the time, nothing is further from the truth. I love answering questions and helping people understand. Every now and then, however, someone usually comes up with a doozy.

Usually someone who didn’t listen or pay attention that question. Consequently, they ask a question already answered.

Jesus’ “Stupid” Question

It seemed as though Jesus had asked a very stupid question. Let me set the stage for you.

Mr Potato Head, a Bible Verse, and Our Division Problem

October 12, 2017 Jim Duggan

Mr. Potato Head has been around a long time.

I remember playing with one way back in my childhood. Mr. Potato Head could help illustrate a Bible verse that can help us overcome one of our gravest problems.

The Problem

We have a problem today with division. Not the math kind, but the relationship kind. Families, churches, and in a greater sense all of society has difficulty solving division problems.

Family members remain at odds with one another because they refuse to take the difficult path to conflict resolution. Churches split and the cause of Christ suffers because members value their pride more than resolution. Myriad examples exist of the deep divisions in our society. Never before have I felt pulled in so many directions by others expecting me to “side” with their cause.

Whether a family squabble, church dissention, or societal division, I see a trend that people have lost their objectivity. Too many try to pull splinters out of the other side’s eye with a huge limb protruding from their own.

The Solution

The BEST Math books provided in the back of the book answers to the the exercises at each chapter’s end. The answer to all of life’s division problems are not in the back of the book, but in the text. One particular Bible verse, with Mr. Potato Head’s expert illustrative assistance, can provides the answer we need.

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