Are you guilty of saying: “I have no time!!” or, “If only there was an extra hour in the day!!”

What would you do with an extra hour? Would the shopping, laundry, dinner, date night, and time with kids happen in that magic hour, or would you just continue to wear yourself out? More than likely, you would just continue wearing yourself out, wishing there was an additional hour to steal. The fact is that the only thing truly getting stolen is your life. However, time is not robbing you of life; it is busyness absorbing your energy. Busy people risk their personal tank running on empty and eventually losing touch with the meaning of their busyness.

Take a few moments and think about everything that consumes your time and keeps you busy. Make a list of these things that came to mind. Does your list look like this: work, soccer practice, kids, wife/husband, friends/family, go to church, school play, baking cookies, etc. Now make a list of all the things that you consider a priority. This list usually looks slightly different: God, husband/wife, kids, family, friends, and work. How does your list compare? Do they match, or are they way off? What needs to change for your life to reflect your true priorities?

Effectively managing the time that God has blessed us with is not easy, but it can be done by being purposeful. To be purposeful means to be focused, decisive, and persistent. In short, it is to be determined to make your priorities meaningful and to ensure you accomplish them.

Be purposeful, that is determined, in spending time with God. You may have to lock yourself in the bathroom and turn on the shower to give yourself quiet time. You need to refuel your tank to manage your own energy. God honors the time you give him. Yes, you could spend your day scrubbing the toilet or accomplishing items on your list of other activities. But time with God and yourself will refuel your tank.

Be purposeful (determined) about spending time with your spouse. Start the day with a kiss. Talk with each other at least once during the day. Welcome each other home at the end of the day with a hug. Most importantly, purposefully take at least 20 minutes daily to share undivided attention with each other. And then, end the day with “I Love You.”

Purposefully get to know your children. The soccer mom looks great, but she can be so busy with the duties of being the “soccer mom” that she misses the purpose of being a mother. The best gift you can give your kids is your time. It is not your money, their dance lessons, their team sports, or their sleepovers; it is you. Remember, you are the number one influence on your children. They cannot be positively influenced by you if you are not there.

Purposefully pick a few good friends and invest your time in developing these friendships. Purposefully, stay in contact with your relatives. It takes very little time to write a card and mail it. The five minutes it takes can be at a time that is convenient for you. You will be amazed at the positive impact of getting a card in the mail.

Have you heard this acronym for busy: Being Under Satan’s Yoke. By keeping busy, you may be effectively distracted from the relationships that matter; God, Family, and Friends. Don’t be distracted and overwhelmed. Be purposeful, determined, and persistent in getting your “busy” list to match your “priority” list. God is faithful to His word and will honor the time you give to Him and the effort you put into getting your priorities straight.

Dennis Gowin and Cheryl Gowin, Biblical Counselors with Discovery Counseling.

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8