Life of a Steward | Christian Time Management

Oppression: Reacting to the Sin of Wasted Time

One of the great things about a blog is the ability to write briefly on a very specific slice of a topic.

But when these slices are left without context, a lot of problems can arise.

I believe that’s what happened in my last post, Is Wasting Time a Sin? What I intended as a short answer to a question I was asked ended up, I think, giving many the wrong impression.

It’s my fault for not communicating properly, but one of the great things about the blog is that I can follow-up and hopefully give a more complete and accurate picture in this post.

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11 Podcast

How to Stop Perfectionism in Its Tracks – Episode 12

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Duration: 23:53

I received a great question from a listener that really got my gears turning.

Perfectionism is a dangerous tendency that can lead us to procrastination, missed opportunities, and wasted time.

Yes, we want to do thing with excellence. But we don’t want to be obsessive that we go overboard with perfectionism.

But how do we know where to draw the line? When do you keep working on a project and when do you launch?

In this episode, we take a look at the heart issues buried underneath perfectionism – and I share eight tips on how to judge when it’s right to launch a project or to continue refining what you’re working on.
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41 Biblical Worldview, Discipline

Is Wasting Time a Sin?

How does God view it when we waste time?

Is it merely unwise in his eyes? Is it a gray area?

What does scripture say?

Is wasting time a sin?

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43 Systems & Tips

Work Small; Don’t Hope in the Big Blocks of Time

There’s a trap that many people fall into. I know, because I’ve made this mistake more times than I’d like to admit.

You have a big block of available time coming up. Maybe it’s a break between semesters, a time when work is expected to slow down, or an extended vacation.

And you’re just sure that you’ll be able to get so much work done during that time.

But the break comes and goes, and the main accomplishment you have to show is a high level of frustration and disappointment.

There’s a better way.

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34 Balanced Life

Gifts of Time: A Simple (Not Easy) Way to Lead Your Wife

As married men, we hear a lot about leading our families.

It’s a high calling, to be sure. But it’s problematic when we think that a high calling can only be met with grandiose and complicated actions.

For instance, one of the greatest things I’ve done to lead my wife is a simple gift of time.

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33 Systems & Tips

Journaling: How to Find Time to Take Time to Make Time

The following is a guest post from Yvonne Root.

How in the world do they do it? How do some people find time to flit from one event to the next, from one solved problem to the next, from one meeting to the next and still have time to greet the family and pet the dog?

Even if you believe that you can acquire a new skill in “only” 10,000 hours, where in the world are you going to find those hours?

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14 Podcast

God’s Blessing in Busyness – Episode 11

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Duration: 12:42

There’s real pain in busyness and stress. Naturally, we want to escape that pain as quickly as possible. But don’t be so eager to reduce stress that you miss the blessings God could have for you in the midst of your pain.

Although these times of stress aren’t caused by God, our sovereign God uses everything (even the results of our own sins) for our ultimate good – transforming us to be more like Christ.

So take some time to consider your busyness and your stress. What could God be trying to say to you in the midst of this storm?

Now Providing Transcripts

A few people have mentioned to me that it would be helpful to have outlines of the podcast or transcripts. I’ve provided a full transcript below, adding in subheadings for easier reading. Please let me know if this is a feature you like!
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33 Balanced Life, Discipline

How to Count the Cost of Learning Time Management

Acquiring a new skill is costly.

There is an initial expenditure of time, energy, and potentially money to become proficient at something new. In the area of time management, it ironically takes a lot of time and effort to learn how to save time and effort.

And this is where a lot of people make a logical, yet damaging, mistake.

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35 Balanced Life

Maybe Your Boss Isn’t the Enemy

It’s tough to manage all our competing priorities.

We don’t want to let ourselves down – and we don’t want to let others down. And it seems that others have unrealistic and unfair expectations of us.

Maybe their expectations are unfair – but maybe, just maybe, they’re not the enemy.

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22 Biblical Worldview

The Key to Christian Productivity: Character (Infographic)

With the rise of Pinterest and with Facebook graphic sharing becoming increasingly more common, I thought it might be worthwhile to do some infographic posts. Feel free to share, and let me know if you think these are worth doing. Perhaps it will become a regular feature.

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadDuration: 23:53

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadDuration: 12:42

Now Providing Transcripts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Duration: 23:53

Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Duration: 12:42