Taking Back My Time

“If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you.” James 1:5 (GW)

God wants his children to get their proper rest. If I'm burning the candle at both ends, I'm not as bright as I think I am. I'm going to burn out!

Often I'm given more opportunities in one week than I could possibly take on in one month. I need to learn to manage my opportunities—because if I don’t, I'm going to drown in them. There are plenty of things I can do with my life that may not be worth doing.

When I'm faced with an opportunity, I need to take three steps.

First, ask, is it worth it? Is that opportunity worth my time, energy effort, reputation, and money? Is it worth my life? Every time I give myself to an activity, I'm exchanging my life for it. Why? Because my time is my life.

Second, understand what I'm going to have to give up. What will I give up in order to do this new thing?

Most of us know how to make a to-do list. The challenge is to make a what-matters-most list for my life. I need to decide what’s most important by asking God what matters most to him. This won’t just help me know what to put on my to-do list. It will also help me know what to take off my list. I recently encountered a trusted resource who talked about a "Stop Doing" list in which you learn to give some things over to others or just don't need to do. 

James 1:5 says, “If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you” (GW).

Third, learn to say “no.” I’ve become addicted to today’s speed of life, and it’s costing me my health, relationships, and my walk with God. I need to slow down by saying “no” to the things that don’t make the what-matters-most list. This is much like my "Decision Matrix" I developed a few months ago. I need to make sure I'm using it to decide how to spend my time so that I'm not wasting my life.

I know how to fill my time, but I'm not as good at taking it back. I don’t have time because I don’t make the time. And I make time by asking if it’s worth it, understanding what to give up, and then learning to say “no” to what hurts me in the long run. Only then will I have the wisdom to know what action to take with each new opportunity I face. 

Here are some questions to ponder today: What happens when I apply these three steps to the things that already fill your calendar? When I understand that my time is my life, how does it change my perspective on activities and opportunities? Of the opportunities I’ve been given, what do I think matters most to God?

In summary:

It's important for me to seek God's wisdom when making decisions, especially in a fast-paced world filled with endless opportunities. James 1:5 reminds me that if I lack wisdom, I should ask God, who generously gives it. Without proper rest and intentional decision-making, I risk burnout by overcommitting. Instead of simply filling my lives with tasks, I need to pause and evaluate whether each opportunity aligns with what truly matters. Time is a limited and valuable resource—essentially my life—and I must manage it wisely.

To do this, I can take three steps: first, ask if the opportunity is truly worth the investment of my time and energy. Second, understand what I will have to give up in order to pursue it. And third, learn to say “no” to things that don’t align with what matters most to God. Creating a "what-matters-most" list and even a "Stop Doing" list can help me filter out distractions. By applying these steps and using tools like my personal decision matrix, I can reclaim my time and live intentionally, focusing on what truly counts in both my life and my walk with God.