Take Control of Your Time (2)

   

'Teach us to realise the brevity of life' Psalm 90:12 NLT

One of the things I had to learn as a young pastor was to be organized. Some of you may ask if I have conquered it yet after looking in my office. But yes for the most part I think I have. If you are thinking you need a change listen to what Gordon MacDonald says about a disorganised life. See if you recognise any: '(1) Appointments/messages/deadlines missed. I know I'm disorganised when there are a series of forgotten appointments, telephone messages to which I have failed to respond, and deadlines which I have begun to miss. The day becomes filled with broken commitments and lame excuses... (2) Unproductive tasks. If I am disorganised I tend to invest my energies in unproductive tasks; there is a tendency toward daydreaming and avoidance of decisions that have to be made, and procrastination... (3) Lack of intimacy with God. Disorganised Christians rarely enjoy intimacy with God. No one has to tell them that time must be set aside for the purpose of Bible study and reflection, for intercession, for worship. They know all of that. They simply are not doing it. They excuse themselves, saying there is no time. But they know it is more a matter of organisation and personal will than anything else... (4) Shallow personal relationships. Days pass without a significant conversation with my son or daughter. My wife and I will be in contact but our conversations may be shallow. I may become irritable, resenting any attempt on her part to call attention to things I have left undone or people I appear to have let down. (5) Lack of self-esteem. When we are disorganised in our control of time we just don't like ourselves, our jobs, or much else about our worlds. And it is difficult to break the destructive pattern that settles in. This terrible habit pattern of disorganisation must be broken, or our private worlds will quickly fall into total disorder.' Getting our lives right in every area just makes everything right. You are loved!

Take Control of Your Time (1)

   
'Walk in wisdom...redeeming the time.' Colossians 4:5 NKJV
 As a Pastor my time is valuable and there never seems to be enough of it. So I have plan my days and make every minute count. Nothing is more costly than wasted time. Every minute lost is gone forever. Today we have more time-saving devices than any other generation, yet we seem to have less time. Have you ever thought you're life was out of control because of time? To get control of your life you must first get control of your time. That means redirecting each lost minute toward a worthy purpose. We all have things we want to do, plan to do, and feel bad about not doing. Understand this: the difference in who you are right now and the person you'll be ten years from now, will largely be determined by your relationships and your reading habits. Relationships and Reading habits pastor? Is that all you got? Yes; The most important thing you can do in you're day is read your Bible, the world's greatest wisdom manual, and talk with you're God! Here's a suggestion that will help you: instead of having an 'all or nothing' attitude to Bible reading, seize your 'in between time'. You'll be amazed how the wasted minutes in each day and week add up to hours of productive time. J. Oswald Sanders gives us three great insights: (1) Stop leaks. Let us not consider our day only in terms of hours, but in smaller areas of time. If we look after the minutes, the hours will look after themselves. (2) Set priorities. Much time is spent on things of only secondary importance. We give such undue attention to petty details that matters of major importance are squeezed out. This is especially so where spiritual things are concerned. (3) Start planning. Without a plan we all tend to drift. So in the attitude of prayer, ask, 'How can I best plan today?' Buy up the spare minutes as eagerly as a miser hoards money and see what you and God can do in a day together. You are loved...

Be Holy

    

'...Be holy in all you do.' 1 Peter 1:15 NIV

I was praying this morning God led me to this scripture. "Be holy in all you do." Holiness isn't a subject we hear much about these days. Now your probably thinking, well pastor I hear it from you all the time. Good, but on a national level not so much. So, what does it mean to 'be holy'? First, let's understand what it doesn't mean: (1) It doesn't isolate you from the world, it insulates you against its negative influences. (2) It's not a scorecard for deciding who's close to God and who's not. It's having a heart that's aware of your shortcomings and praying, 'As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God.' (Psalm 42:1 NIV) Holiness means to be set apart in a special and exclusive way, as in Holy Communion where the bread and wine are set apart from everyday use to honor Christ's death. Or holy matrimony, where a couple promises to be faithful to each other to the exclusion of all others. Chuck Swindoll wrote: 'When I was a...young husband serving in the Marines thirteen thousand miles away from my wife, I knew Cynthia existed. I could read her letters and occasionally hear her voice on the phone, but I couldn't see or touch her. I'd only the memory of our standing together three years earlier before God and a minister who'd pronounced us husband and wife, setting us apart exclusively to each other for the rest of our lives. We were wed in June 1955, but regardless of how long ago it was, we stood together and committed ourselves to a holy intermingling of our lives. To be intimate with another woman would break that holy relationship, that exclusive oneness. Remembering that helped keep me faithful while we were apart those many months, and it still helps forty-one years later!' Holiness is faithfulness to the one you love. I hope and pray you have that relationship with God that keeps you faithful to Holiness! You are loved...

Say 'No!'

    
'...Just say a simple...no' James 5:12 NLT

When you don't learn to say no, you end up disliking yourself, as well as the people you are trying to please. In some cases we have difficulty saying it because we're afraid people won't like us. In other cases we believe that to be 'a good Christian' we must always say yes. Jesus said, '...Let...your no be [a simple] no, so that you may not sin...' (James 5:12 AMP) Only when you have the courage to say no will you mature, be able to address your own unmet needs, and start respecting yourself. And in time, others will too. So do these three things: (1) Think before you respond. If you need to, say, 'Can I get back to you?' Don't make commitments without consulting God, your calendar, and your family. 'If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you...' (James 1:5 NLT) ( 2) When your plate's full, say so. Responding to so-called emergencies caused by somebody else's poor planning and sloppy habits won't do either of you any good. Limit what you say yes to, then stick with it. Don't take on more because you feel pressured, guilty or indispensable. You'll discover that you're only indispensable until you say no-or die! (3) Go with your gifts. God has given each of us unique talents. If you've to choose between singing in the worship band or sitting on the finance committee, go where your talents will be best utilised. Is this always easy? No, but unless you learn to do it you'll end up investing too much time and energy in what seems urgent, and neglect what's important. You are loved!

Seek Reconciliation

'...Go and be reconciled' Matthew 5:24 NIV

Sometimes the only way to get over your hurt feelings is to seek reconciliation. I've had to learn this leasson several times in my life. It seems to be one of the hardest things to learn, and if you are willing, God will help you do it. Dinah Craik wrote: 'Oh...the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.' One of my college professor's who was teaching on the high cost of unforgiveness asked each of us students to bring a sack of potatoes to class. For each person they refused to forgive, they had to select a potato and write the date on it beside that person's name. Then for a month, without fail, they had to carry that sack of potatoes with them everywhere they went. After lugging those sacks around for a while each student began to recognise how much weight they were carrying; the amount of energy it took to focus on their bag; and that they had to be careful not to leave it in the wrong place. Eventually, as the potatoes began to rot and stink, they realised that getting rid of them was the only smart thing to do. Jesus said, '...If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not...' (John 20:23 NIV) What happens to them? Good question! How would you like God to forgive you in the same way you forgive others? If that thought makes you uncomfortable, do something about it! You are loved!

Be Willing to Face the Truth

 

'The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.' Proverbs 20:12 NKJV

Ever been in the position where you had to face up to something? I have, and its not always fun. As a pastor and leader I've had to face and do things that I really didn't want to, but did. I learned how to because it was the right thing to do. Dr. Howard Hendricks, a church growth expert, was once asked to diagnose the declining membership in a certain church. After attending service for several weeks he met with the board of elders and said, 'Put a fence around it and charge admission, so people can come and see how church was done in the 1950s.' In other words, you're hopelessly behind! When our ego is on the line, we have a tendency to put a positive spin on things while ignoring all evidence to the contrary. The danger is that over time we lose sight of what's actually happening around us. Good leaders refuse to do that; and I refuse to do that. I will root out misinformation and refuse to reward those who deliver it. My heart is to create a culture that's transparent concerning what is, and what isn't, taking place. To ensure that we live this way, we must live by these seven commandments: (1) Thou shalt not pretend. (2) Thou shalt not turn a blind eye. (3) Thou shalt not exaggerate. (4) Thou shalt not shoot the bearer of bad news. (5) Thou shalt not hide behind the numbers. (6) Thou shalt not ignore constructive criticism. (7) Thou shalt not isolate thyself. Attempting to make progress while turning a blind eye to reality is like treading water; it can only go on for so long. Eventually you drown. Whether it's in your church, your business or your personal life, be willing to face the truth regardless of how painful it is. And if you don't like what you see-start changing it! When you allow God to change you, amazing things happen. God is changing CFW person by person and I'm excited to see the future. You are loved! 

Developing Patience

                

'...Trouble produces patience' Romans 5:3 NCV

How do you develop patience? Through trouble! When your honesty seems to go unnoticed, when your hard work seems to go unrewarded, when your kindness is rendered without thanks, when your helping hand is offered and ignored, when even love is refused-that's when patience shines in all its beauty. Paul writes, 'Trouble produces patience.' You've seen this principle at work in the development of children. One child, overly shielded and protected, may grow up into a weakling without ambition and courage, destined to failure. Another, left to fight their own battles, to struggle, to learn through trial and error, may grow into near-perfect maturity. The same principle applies to the Christian life when you realize that each storm brings its blessings and each trial produces its rewards. Let's look at three practical benefits of patience: First, patience brings hope. 'Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises to be fulfilled.' (Romans 15:4 NLT) Secondly, patience produces spiritual fruit. 'And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God's word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.' (Luke 8:15 NLT) Thirdly, through patience you receive what God has promised. 'Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and endurance.' (Hebrews 6:12 NLT)