Managing your time

How do we understand the issue of management of time?

We need to start where we looked at our life issues – our life is about being part of Gods Kingdom – our life is for a purpose – the KOG and being part of the same. We are called to Belong, called to become and called to build his Kingdom – Christ as the centre, character as the life style, contribution to Kingdom as the purpose…

But in this paradigm it is also important to understand that We are “Created Beings” and there is a creator…And the creator is the owner and sustainers of our life…. Nothing is mine…he IS the owner……

We say it very easily but live as if I own my life! So we start with this.

1. We are created for a purpose – Belong, Become and build
2. Our creator owns everything we have….

Which means – Created for a purpose and what we have in our hand to fulfil that purpose is time talents and resources (money) but this is not ours! We only are “Stewards”…

So the questions we need to be clear before even getting into the topic are

Who are we –

Whose are we – Who owns what we have -

What is it for that we are created –

So if God owns Time and if God owns our 24 hours of the day, 365 days of the year and 80 to 90 years of our life – – How shall we then live….

Time is owned by God…

Take a sheet of paper and put down all what you do in 24 hours.

Sleep, Personal time, Studies, Time for prayer and reading bible, friends, entertainment etc – how many hours per day,

God’s plan for you today is that you live your life in line with His plan for your life.

How does the owner wants us to manage what is His….

What is the priority of your life today…..?As per Gods working in your life….

There are two words used for Time – Chronos and Kairos – Chronos is as Time as we see – Chronology, chronic condition. Kairos is Gods appointed time as God sees and His purposes….

For you and me – we are called to live in Kairos – Gods appointed time and His plan for our life – The Kingdom of God is Here – was Kairos – Gods appointed time for His Kingdom is already here so all our time has to be “Kairos”…

Living every moment in Gods time and purposes…. So it is not about how do we give time for God, but how do we live in Kairos – In Gods appointed time and in the presence of God…

But this does not happen in our life, because we live not in a world where God is in charge – we live and breathe I a world where the evil is alive and active,

We also have internal “Self” which is still not in control by God…

If our self and God was in complete control of our life and the world, these issues would not have been a problem. But we live in world where we have been given a “free will” to decide….and where God has allowed for a time the evil one to be active….

External context and Internal Self – both these bring up “De-focusing” voices – Voices which tell us – your life is your own, your time is your own,

Where does this come from – Peers, Family, Contexts, - Do not waste your life!!!!

In the midst of these challenges – we need to “re-focus” on the Kairos – that we live and breathe in God, each of our living second is for God and His purposes – how do you and I do that – By setting aside time to “Listen to the True Voice” and “Reflect on the True Voice”….

Time with God as a Time to focus on His plans for our life and world….
This is the time spend with God and His word – When, how and where do you do this? –

God has created us to live in a rhythm – 6 days 7 day, Moring evening, - The biggest invention of the century? Light bulb – Watch – destroyed rhythm of life….

So we also need this rhythm – daily rhythms, Interim rhymes and Extended Rhythms…. the purpose is – to listen and get “Re-focussed” …..

Do we do that…how do we do this…how do we create time – to refocus on the bigger purposes for which God has given us time…How do we “Number our Days and live”….

Where does study comes in?

Why are you in this college? Is it a preparation time for God to build and prepare you for his purposes?

How good a Student are you – does it matter to God? How good a Doctor are you does it matter to God?

Our excellence – is a testimony……and our knowledge – the better we can care for Gods creation….

If so – then How Shall We Live…How much time, How do we use our time….

- Dr Santosh Matthew Thomas