We all have stressors, especially how life is today. We all have responsibilities at home, work, school, church and to add to those responsibilities we have ups and downs of life that can cause those stressors to go through the roof.

Think of how many day-to-day issues involve the use of time. It seems that the clock is our biggest enemy at time; why – because it keep ticking no matter what. The solution is TIME MANAGEMENT; but that only works with hard work and God being at the center.

Set PRIORITIES

• You cannot be effective in time management unless you set priorities.

• You can not do everything at once, you must manage the order in which items fall in line.

• On your calendar, place the BIG items that can’t move in first, then the smaller items until they all fit.

• The biggest, most important item that must be there first is God, His Word and His Church, everything else falls into place.

Matthew 6:33 ESV

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Build RELATIONSHIPS

• We find that Jesus set this principle when He was asked …

 

Matthew 22:36–40 ESV

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

• In these verses we find two relationships:

• Our relationship with God

• Our relationship with other people

• Why is relationships important? Because stuff disappear, relationships last.

• We must take the time to build our relationship with God, all other relationships will be built on that primary relationship.

Take Time to PLAN

• It has been said, “Hope for the best, plan for the worst.” How true this statement is.

Luke 14:28–30 ESV

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

• Let’s ask a question, how many of you planned to be here today? You know what? I did too!!! I planned to teach Sunday School and preach this morning. The plan to begin with was Sis. Amanda to teach Sunday School this morning, but she had to go out of town. I also plan to teach Sunday School, even if I schedule someone else to teach.

• Since I planned to teach and preach today, I didn’t schedule grocery shopping today (we all know I don’t grocery shop anyway), I didn’t plan a picnic, or any other plans. I did, however, set my alarm last night, I also prepared sermon outlines, posted on the web site, entered into Worship Extreme, made sure the AC was gonna turn on at the right time, all because I planned ahead of time to teach and preach today.

• Planning helps in all areas of our lives. You know when Christmas is going to be yet, how many wait until 6 weeks out to by Christmas Presents? We need to PLAN

 

Proverbs 21:5 ESV

The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.

 

Proverbs 21:5 (The Message) ~ Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.

Take Time to ORGANIZE

• Do you look for things you misplace? Do you leave and forget stuff you should have taken with you? I am not talking about people like myself that are OCD and want things in a certain place (haha) but I am talking about organizing your life so you are not spending time looking for things that are needed. REMEMBER THE TIME AND PLAN STEPS ABOVE?

Luke 15:8–10 ESV

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

• This works in home life, work life, on your computer, in all areas.

• Church Life? YES, when we organize things in our lives, it gives us literally more time with family, friends and GOD!!!

Learn to be FLEXIBLE

• Being in ministry, this is a HUGE trait to have.

• No matter how much you plan, no matter how much you organize, no matter how much you prioritize, things can happen to change everything.

• HINT – This outline is something that I hope and pray our CV LEADERSHIP folks are doing in their home lives and in their church work as well.

• I know people who spend hours setting priorities, planning, setting goals and never achieve much because they are not flexible.

• I know people who spend hours setting priorities, planning, setting goals and at the end of it all, they say “God willing” and therefore achieve so much more. WHY? Because they are willing to allow the God who is in control, have control.

 

Matthew 16:24–27 ESV

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Questions Today:

Are your PRIORITIES where God wants them to be?

Are you allowing your RELATIONSHIP to God be first?

Is God first in your PLANNING?

Has God ORGANIZED your life or are you still trying to do it yourself?

Are you FLEXIBLE enough to allow God’s will be done in your life?