Wasting Time

Sometimes the answers to my problems are ridiculously simple.  It came up in the sermon yesterday that the way to make the best use of your time is to do what you are supposed to do.  Duh.  If you are supposed to be helping your children with homework, then get off of Facebook and help them.  If I am working away at what I am supposed to be doing I won't have time to do what I am not supposed to be doing.  Literally, I would not have time.  I don't have enough time to do all that needs to be done as it is.

The point was that we spend a lot of time contemplating how to stop doing things.  If we would just do the next thing that needs to be done we wouldn't even have time to worry about those time wasters.  It is so simple, and so true.  I think the next step for me is to quit thinking about the things I can't fit in right now.  They don't fit in, because they don't NEED to be done.  When there is a need the time will be there.  It is also true that you will make time for the things you love to do.  No one has to remind you to do the things you love, you make the time for them.  That is not to say there aren't good things that I could be doing that don't fit in right now.  It just means I need to stop wasting time figuring out how to fit them in.  If they need to be done I will do them, if they don't worrying about it won't get it done.

I need to help my kids see this as well.  Some of them will ask me what they need to do next.  I need to remind them to do the priority things.  Especially Martha, who has had people telling her what to do for most of her life.  She is great about doing whatever I tell her, but she isn't quite at the knowing what to do for herself stage yet.  I need to help her think through what her options are, and to prioritize what needs to happen first.  I also need to remind myself that much of my time needs to be used in helping the kids use their time well.  It is too easy for me to let them waste time, while I do something else, because I don't want  to stop and direct them.  There are so many ways to distract them that are non-productive, I need to limit how much time I let them spend that way.

I had run across a list of things to consider for the New Year concerning spiritual disciplines.  One of the questions was what my biggest time waster is and what I am going to do about it.  I think my answer for that one is not making God's priorities my priorities.  If I remember that I am His servant and He is my master it will keep my options in better perspective.  Then if I do the next thing that He puts in front of me, I won't have to worry about wasting my time.  All of my time is His anyway.  I was tempted to write something like Facebook, and just stop getting on, but really that is not the heart of the matter.  The heart of the matter is making sure I love what God loves, and spend my time seeking His Kingdom in all that I do.  So I am off to fold clothes and pick up children at school to the glory of God.