Nothing Is A Waste Of Time

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - Nothing Is A Waste Of Time

A dear brother named Tim Boden dropped a nugget, and like a pebble in a pond, from then to now it sent ripples through my heart.

He asked a simple question,
“Was Jesus ever interrupted?”

I was driving to address a network outage when I received a text saying that the affected business was back up and there was no longer any need to come out.

I had already driven about an hour and my knee jerk reaction was frustration about the waste of time.

And at that very moment, Brother Boden’s comment returned to me, riding the wave of the ripples his question caused so many months ago.

I thought of Jesus who was requested urgently to heal the daughter of a man named Jairus who was at the brink of death. On the way, He was, from our perspective, unexpectedly delayed by a woman who couldn’t stop bleeding (Luke 8:41-56).

It wasn’t an interruption for Jesus because He is Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14) which means “God with us”. To be God with us was the very thing He was here to do.

That revealed to me that like my Elder Brother Jesus, when I’m with God, nothing is a waste of time.

When we operate as His children (walking in the Spirit), God is either preparing us or using us, very often without us even being conscious of it. Just by being available, He “diffuses through us the fragrance of His knowledge in every place”
-2 Corinthians 2:14.

Furthermore, when we’re on His program, He supplies what’s needed (versus the needless anxieties we create by our own selfish pursuits). He provides the resources and opportunities, as well as an awareness of His provision because, like Him, we’re keen to make the best of every occasion.

There is such great freedom in simply seeking to be with God and trusting Him with the rest, trusting Him to “redeem the time” as my dear brother Bobby Craig says, trusting Him to provide, trusting Him to make the best use of everything we do –even the most seemingly mundane of tasks and I can have full confidence that when I’m with Him, absolutely nothing is wasted.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
-1 Corinthians 15:58

The Futility Of Trying To Make It All Fit

You know what’s funny?

But, don’t laugh.

I’m a grown man that still gets frustrated about not being able to fit everything that needs to be done in one day.

We learn very early on that each day has twenty-four hours. And as an adult we understand that finite resources must be managed through budgeting –most importantly that is, in order to say “yes” to one thing requires saying “no” to another.

The frustration often comes when I’ve not taken the time to be deliberate about what I’m saying no to and am somehow caught by surprise by what hasn’t gotten done and disappointed by violated expectations (mine and others I’ve made promises to).

In those moments I have to grow up, to:
1. remember that it’s unfeasible to get everything done at once, therefore,
2. to take an account,
3. to choose based on my priorities what I’m saying yes to today,
4. to understand what I’m saying no to for today,
5. to evaluate if or when the “nos” may get a “yes” in the future and
6. communicate accordingly to stakeholders so that the appropriate expectations are set.

I shouldn’t just barge into the day hoping to please everyone.

I can’t.

So, I need a plan and to make sure I’m letting the right people down.

The goal is to express my life in a manner that is true to who I am and consistent with my values like how a fruit tree expresses fruit after its own kind, providing sustenance and shelter to other living things.

So, the goal is being authentic and fruitful, not being liked.

I often overcome dissatisfaction with how my day has gone by beginning it with a realistic understanding of the limitations of the time available to me, resulting in being deliberate about how I’m budgeting my time so at the end of the day I know I’ve spent my time in ways that are consistent with who I am and what my priorities are.

I am Christ’s.

And, my priorities are enjoying life in Christ and imparting it to others, all for the glory of God.

So, everyday, how I’ve spent my time should reflect that and then, assuming I have actually identified my authentic who and why, I can enjoy the satisfaction of having expressed and invested toward that.

It’s almost embarrassing how often as an adult I have to be reminded of how to function within constraints. But, I’m human and sometimes circumstances and emotions overwhelm my critical thinking, so I put this here as a reminder and in case it can help anyone else!

#Thriveday #planningday #adulting #timemanagement #productivity #fruitfulness #purpose

Originally posted by Paul Luckett to Facebook here.

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