Categories
Balanced Life

The Time Demands to Listen to and the Ones to Ignore

judge

Have you ever been challenged about how much time you spend at work instead of with your family? How much time you spend caring for your kids instead of loving your spouse?

Have you felt guilty about how little time you spend serving? Or in community with friends? Or evangelizing? Or caring for the poor? Or exercising? Or reading?

It’s quite convicting to think of all that we’re not doing well – it seems like so much, right? We feel the tug to just…be… a little… bit… better.

We want a balanced life. But in this pursuit, we’re often forgetting the most important step – the hardest step.

Categories
Balanced Life

Why Does Rest Sometimes Not Feel Restful?

Choose To Rest

We all look forward to rest.

We count down the days until vacation as we picture ourselves relaxing. We can’t wait until the weekend when we get some time off to decompress.

But then that day off comes… and the truth is it didn’t work out like we envisioned. There was that laundry to take care of or that creaky door to repair or that reading we have to catch up on or that last minute preparation for our presentation.

Our to-do lists are just as long as ever, and we feel overwhelmed. Maybe we take a day off and feel stressed the entire time as our tasks loom unfinished in the background. Maybe we give in and work anyway, feeling exhausted and looking forward now to the next day off – the time when we’ll really get to rest.

We like the idea of resting. But the practice is different… not nearly as soothing.

Why does rest not feel restful?

Categories
Balanced Life

Increased Expectations – Increased Tension

technology

I was listening to a podcast the other day on the drastic changes coming our way over the next few decades as technology advances. It will be unimaginable.

The podcast hosts were so excited as they saw tremendous potential; they were optimistic about the fate of the human race.

But in some ways I wasn’t so convinced.

Categories
Balanced Life Biblical Worldview

Frustrated by Using God

Frustrated by Using God

When we see our time management through the lens of scripture, we realize that we’ve got the Holy Spirit to empower us.

Imagine the good that could come in our life through the Spirit’s power. Imagine the Holy Spirit’s activity doing away with procrastination, overcommitment, sloth, frantic busyness, misplaced priorities, and guilt from wasted time.

What a breath of fresh air that would be.

But perhaps some of the reasons you’re frustrated with your time stewardship is because you’re trying to use God instead of allowing him to use you.

Categories
Balanced Life

No Time to Learn Time Management

Goose and the Golden Eggs

You may be stressed and slammed and busy and overworked and overcommitted and up to your eyeballs in obligations.

You want to learn more about time management. You think perhaps a new system might help – or perhaps reading more about how to optimize some routine tasks you perform.

But the problem is you don’t have time to do the reading! You can’t find the time to learn about the new techniques. You can’t find the time to get going with the systems.

Categories
Balanced Life

I Can Relax through Christ Who Strengthens Me

I Can Relax through Christ

Philippians 4:13 is one of the most popular motivational scriptures: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

We see it in T-shirts and posters and tattoos. Philippians 4:13 is recited before we take tests, go for job interviews, play football games, or tackle the tough things in life.

It’s what I would imagine a Christian hero in an action movie would say right before the final battle.

But this scripture isn’t just about the challenges that make us nervous or the ones that make us sweat. This scripture is also about helping us relax and rest.

Categories
Balanced Life

Remember Life Happens

Remember Life Happens

A few days ago my good friend was walking through a grocery store with his 5-year-old on his back. A little bending over to pick something off the shelf and pop.

He was in some discomfort for a few days. Then one morning the pain suddenly became excruciating.

As I write this, he’s getting surgery for a severely herniated disc.

Categories
Balanced Life Biblical Worldview Discipline Systems & Tips

Your Procrastination Solution Is Here

Your Procrastination Solution

You undoubtedly struggle with procrastination. It seems as common to the human condition as breathing.

Scripture tells us it’s foolish, time management experts tell us it’s wasteful, and even our own common sense tells us it’s something to be avoided. But yet we still scratch that procrastination itch.

We don’t need more guilt trips. We don’t need more motivational posters. We need real solutions.

That’s why I’m excited today to announce the release of my new (and free) ebook, Your Procrastination Solution.

Categories
Balanced Life Systems & Tips

Thursday Time Tip: Protecting Your Time from Your Spouse (and Respecting Their Time)

Protecting Your Time from Your Spouse

Do you know what the two easiest tasks in the world are?

The first is creating work for others. The second is saying yes to work others create for you.

Of course, this leads to a breakdown as commitments vastly outpace our ability to meet them. It’s crucial we learn to say no.

And as I think back in my life, the person that most often creates work for me is my wife. By far, I’m the person in my wife’s life that creates the most work for her. I’d imagine your marriage may be the same.

We need to learn how to lovingly and respectfully navigate this situation – guarding our time and learning to protect our spouse’s schedule from our own demands.

Categories
Balanced Life Biblical Worldview

Christian Life Strategy: Why Yours May Fail

Why Your Christian Life Strategy May Fail

You’ve determined that you want to live your life well – for the things that count.

Perhaps you have a vague idea of what your life mission is. Maybe you even set aside some time to think deeply and went so far as to write down a life purpose or even 10- and 5-year plans.

But your strategy may fall flat on its face. And your life may still be wasted.