One of the laws of time management is that “work will expand to fill the time allotted for it.”
For example, if we allow ourselves one hour to clean house it will take one hour. If we give ourselves an hour and a half for that same job it will take an hour and a half.
Christians can apply this principle in many ways. Let’s say you’re preparing a Sunday School lesson. Instead of making it an open ended project that could keep you up all night, get you discouraged, and make you want to quit teaching, simply give yourself a specific block of time each week, such as three hours on Thursday evening that you give that activity. Leave some flexibility, but try your best to stay within the deadline.
You’ll find that establishing a stopping time as well as a starting time will make the project less overwhelming. It will motivate you to focus and stay on task to meet your deadline. It’ll help you redeem the time.
Rick Grubbs is best known as the host of “Redeeming the Time,” a one-minute radio program featured on hundreds of radio outlets around the world. He has spoken thousands of times on Biblical time management in all 50 states and 26 other countries. He is the author of the book “Morning Momentum: God’s plan for launching an unstoppable day”. He and his wife Carrie live in Salisbury NC with several of their 12 children.
