Time.  It’s a valuable commodity and one that most of us seem to think we’ll never have enough of.  In fact, next to money, it’s probably the number one thing that people complain about…

There’s not enough time in the day!
If only I had more time.
I’m always running behind.

We seem to think that if we just had a little more time… a few more minutes, a few more hours or a couple extra days… that life would be perfect.  That we’d get everything marked off the to-do list, the house would be clean, the kids would be successful, the spouse would feel loved and all would be right with the world.

But, what if that’s all a lie?

Recently, while reading a daily devotion from Devotions for People of Purpose about the Biblical perspective of time, I had a bit of an epiphany.

What if we’re all looking at time in the wrong way?

What if our focus shouldn’t be on how MUCH time we have but on how we spend the time that we DO have?

Instead of running around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to accomplish all of these things that don’t really matter anyway… what if we slowed down, reevaluated how we spend our time and realize that we’ve actually had MORE than enough time all along?

Well, we can!  All we have to do is follow a few simple guidelines:

1.  Get adequate rest.

In today’s “go, go, go” society, sleep deprivation and fatigue are a common thing.  Whether it’s from overworking ourselves and running our bodies into the ground or simply not respecting our bodies and staying up too late surfing the internet or watching television, many of us are not getting the proper rest that our bodies need.  But we can choose instead to honor our bodies as a gift from God and a home for His Holy Spirit, by becoming committed to taking better care of it, which includes getting more rest.  Plus, if we realize and truly believe that we DO have all the time we need… there’s no reason to push ourselves so hard because we can get everything done that we need to and still go to bed at a decent time.

2.  Incorporate time for prayer & meditation.

Perhaps the most important thing we can do is make time for prayer and meditation every day.  Yes, EVERY day.  That may seem like an overwhelming thought if you are already feeling like you don’t have enough time in the day, but that’s why it takes an intentional effort on your part to do it.  Whether you get up a little earlier each morning or cut out some of your internet or TV time, making prayer and meditation a PRIORITY is perhaps the best way to stop feeling so rushed.  Because when we spend quality time with God every day, particularly at the beginning of our day, it sets the tone for the day and fills us with the peace of the Holy Spirit.  While meditation calms the busy mind and helps you to stay in the present moment.

3.  Say no.

One of the biggest reasons we can end up overwhelmed and feeling out of time is because we take on too many responsibilities and try to be everything to everyone.  There’s a lot of pressure around us continually to be the “perfect parent,” the “perfect friend,” the “perfect spouse” and the “perfect volunteer” who can do a million different things in a day.  Except in the end, we probably end up being none of those things because we’ve worn ourselves too thin.  But, that’s not how God created us to live anyway!  We weren’t created to do everything… we were uniquely made with specific talents and gifts that we excel at.  So it’s okay to say no to things that don’t fall into those categories.  Say yes to what you’re good at and let someone else say yes to the rest!

4.  Keep the Sabbath.

This is also pretty much the opposite of our “go, go, go” society, but the Sabbath is not only Biblically-based, but also very necessary.  Even God rested on the seventh day!  So we should rest too!  There was a time (not that long ago) when this was observed by most businesses – with everything being closed on Sunday.  But unfortunately, capitalism has taken over and Sunday is now just another day to make a profit.  But that doesn’t mean you have to take part in it.  Keep Sunday as a day of rest, reflection and rejuvenation before the week ahead.  I promise you, you CAN do it and everything will still get done.

Because the reality is… you actually do have all the time you need (and more).  The key lies in how you spend it.