Three Life-Changing Lessons for Managing Your Time

As I persisted in evaluating my time, commitments, choices, and motives in seeking to know God’s will for my life (following my Hodgkin’s diagnosis), He taught me a third lesson that I will share with you today. Just as a review, here were the last two lessons:

Lesson One: When we take on responsibilities that God never intended for us, we rob someone else of being in God’s will for his or her life.

Lesson Two: Be certain to take on a new responsibility only because God has clearly revealed that this is His will for you, not your response to gaining approval from others or avoiding rejection. God may be showing you a need because you are acquainted or affiliated with someone (or an organization) who can best meet the need He’s revealed.

The third lesson came one morning when I was reading my Bible. I was reading Jesus’ prayer as He prepared to face crucifixion, knowing He would soon leave the disciples He loved so much and all who came to believe He was God in the flesh, walking this earth.

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” (John 17:1-5)

I was suddenly struck by the realization that across the globe there were hundreds of thousands more who Jesus had never seen, touched, or taught, yet He had finished the work His Father gave Him to do.

God does not intend for us to meet every need, touch every life, accomplish every goal or finish every task. All He asks us to do is complete the work He ordained for us to do on this earth while we live.

Lesson Three: Seek God to know His will for your life, each and every day. By His power alone, through His Holy Spirit, do the things He calls you to do…nothing more, nothing less. Complete the work He has given YOU to do. Then every moment of life will be well spent!

We each have a purpose and the most important thing we can do with our lives, is seek God to be certain that when we breathe our last breath, we have completed the work He gave us to do.

After I finished learning these three lessons, I found out my Hodgkin’s Disease diagnosis was a false diagnosis. I did not have cancer. I realize now that God was forced to use the extreme of a cancer diagnosis for me to actually stop all my busyness and listen. Why not stop and listen to God now and save yourself the trouble? God is ready and waiting to answer you as you seek to know His will and complete the work He has given you to do in this life.