A Time Management Secret For Your New Year

A common struggle many of us mamas face is in time-management and over-committing ourselves. I’ve found that when I over fill my plate with things God has not asked me to take on, it is my kids and husband who feel the effects of it the most. When I am tired, stressed, and too busy I become harsh and impatient and since I’ve given my energy in other directions, I have none left for the ones I am responsible to care for and who need me most. As the New Year approaches and many of us take time to evaluate our lives and set goals for the upcoming year, I’d like to share the best time management secret I’ve found:

Very early in the morning, while it
was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place,
where he prayed. Mark 1:35.

“What was the secret of Jesus’ ministry?
He prayerfully waited for his Father’s instructions.
He discerned the Father’s will day by day in a life of prayer.
Because of this he was able to resist the urgent demands… and do what was
really important for his mission. The Gospel record shows that Jesus worked
hard. Yet Jesus’ life was never feverish; he had time for people. His life
showed a wonderful balance, a sense of timing” 

From Charles Hummel’s Tyranny of the Urgent

As we prayerfully evaluate our “plates”—our responsibilities, commitments, opportunities, goals—the things that make up our days— and lay them before the Father, it is helpful to examine our hearts and ask ourselves what is motivating my decisions in how I spend my time or what I am choosing to commit to? Is it a wrongful heart attitude—maybe of seeking escape, recognition, status, position, control, approval from others, identity? I’ve found that when I prayerfully search my own heart, I can more easily discern the Father’s agenda from my own agenda.

“There are two opposite ways to use
our time. One person goes through the day responding mainly to inner
compulsions and outward pressures of the moment. Another has a plan that sets
priorities and prayerfully makes decisions in advance.” -Charles Hummel

As we venture into a New Year, I invite you to make a commitment with me to slow down. Listen. Be with Him and ask Him to help you craft a plan for your days. Know your God-given portion (and feel free to remove those things that God is not asking you to do!). Scripture tells us that Jesus only did what he saw the Father doing. He didn’t live according to the agendas or expectations of the world around him. He was free to live in perfect balance and timing because He spent time with the Father and let the Father lead Him. Ask God to give you a clear vision of your mission as a mom so that you can set priorities—and in doing so, live in freedom to say no to the (often good) things that keep you and me from doing the most important in the mission God has called us to as mamas.

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Credit: Cold Prayer