Recently I sat down in front of my computer to 'revamp' my personal work and life schedule. My work-life balance was horribly off - I was working from home every night, skipping lunch and it seemed that there was a ministry event at church every other night. I was remembering Gordon MacDonald's nervous breakdown in the face of a hectic work schedule (Ordering Your Private World, MacDonald). So with my Excel spreadsheet glowing on my computer screen I filled in the little boxes that represented the various elements of my life.
Two weeks into my plan things seemed to be working well. I was going into work earlier, not bringing work home, and prioritizing my days. All was well, or so it seemed.
All was well until I realized that my devotional life was suffering. I still had a tiny box on the bottom of my Excel sheet, for 6:30am, relegated to 'Quiet Time'. But that 'slot' in my schedule was suffering.
I mentioned this to my good friend Jon and his remark was interesting. He pointed out that devotional time was one of the most inefficient things a person can do. In an effort to improve efficiency I pushed out, unknowingly, one of the most inefficient things I did - morning reading of Scripture and prayer.
Devotional time doesn't make me any more money. It doesn't make my boss happy, it doesn't help me leave work right at 5pm. It doesn't help my morning routine to prepare for work, or my evening routine with the family. It's simply me being still and listening...and reading and praying. And sometimes writing. It doesn't advance my agenda.
At the same time, paradoxically, it's extremely critical to everything I do - as it relates family, work, ministry and every other aspect of life. It influences all of life because it re-orients my heart and mind to God's priorities, whether those things are efficient or not. (Not to say that all of life shouldn't be 'devoted' to God and that continuous prayer shouldn't be indicative of our lives. However, I believe setting aside specific time is critical).
And when you think about, just about all of ministry is that way. It's not only inefficient but also a hassle. It's a hassle sometimes to initiate with my neighbors, take a co-worker out to lunch that needs to hear the gospel, spend extra time praying with my children, or serve weekly in the local church. But what in the world would I be doing if I wasn't doing those things?
Martin Luther said it best when asked how he could fulfill all his personal ministerial responsibilities and still have time to spend several hours a day in prayer and devotional time. He said, (paraphrase) "I'm too busy not to spend that time in prayer before the Lord." The pressure of a busy schedule should drive us to prayer and study and its inefficiencies will ultimately bear fruit that far surpasses the fruit of an 'efficient' life.
Two weeks into my plan things seemed to be working well. I was going into work earlier, not bringing work home, and prioritizing my days. All was well, or so it seemed.
All was well until I realized that my devotional life was suffering. I still had a tiny box on the bottom of my Excel sheet, for 6:30am, relegated to 'Quiet Time'. But that 'slot' in my schedule was suffering.
I mentioned this to my good friend Jon and his remark was interesting. He pointed out that devotional time was one of the most inefficient things a person can do. In an effort to improve efficiency I pushed out, unknowingly, one of the most inefficient things I did - morning reading of Scripture and prayer.
Devotional time doesn't make me any more money. It doesn't make my boss happy, it doesn't help me leave work right at 5pm. It doesn't help my morning routine to prepare for work, or my evening routine with the family. It's simply me being still and listening...and reading and praying. And sometimes writing. It doesn't advance my agenda.
At the same time, paradoxically, it's extremely critical to everything I do - as it relates family, work, ministry and every other aspect of life. It influences all of life because it re-orients my heart and mind to God's priorities, whether those things are efficient or not. (Not to say that all of life shouldn't be 'devoted' to God and that continuous prayer shouldn't be indicative of our lives. However, I believe setting aside specific time is critical).
And when you think about, just about all of ministry is that way. It's not only inefficient but also a hassle. It's a hassle sometimes to initiate with my neighbors, take a co-worker out to lunch that needs to hear the gospel, spend extra time praying with my children, or serve weekly in the local church. But what in the world would I be doing if I wasn't doing those things?
Martin Luther said it best when asked how he could fulfill all his personal ministerial responsibilities and still have time to spend several hours a day in prayer and devotional time. He said, (paraphrase) "I'm too busy not to spend that time in prayer before the Lord." The pressure of a busy schedule should drive us to prayer and study and its inefficiencies will ultimately bear fruit that far surpasses the fruit of an 'efficient' life.
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