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You have the same 24 hours in your day as the most accomplished and greatest men and women in the history of the world. Then why do you still feel like you don't have enough time to do what you want to do and be who you want to be? Between all the busyness of life it feels like we just don't have the time. But what if it was possible to make more time. I think we can. And I think I know how.
Through a look at biblical precedent, and the value of community, and a few dad jokes, "Making Time" is timely look at timeless principles and a great resource for you, your family, church, or small group.
The confession.
I'm not always that good at multitasking.
Oh, hold on.
Hold on.
Okay.
As I was saying, I'm not
that good at multitasking.
There are a lot of things that make
me feel busier than I actually am.
Multitasking is one of the biggest
ones, but closely related to that
is task switching going from one
thing to another in succession.
And another reason that I'm so busy
is due to the cultural pressure.
That.
Busy-ness is the same as
importance or being needed.
And of course I'm constantly
forgetting that I'm usually
only as busy as I want to be.
All of the extracurriculars, the
appointments, the Christmas events,
the weeknight plans, the weekend plans,
all of that stuff on my calendar,
well, most of it, I put there.
Sometimes it is all stuff
that by itself, I like.
But like when I go to an
all, you can eat buffet.
I pile too much stuff I like on
my plate and wind up just stuffed.
But I think it is made even worse by that
task switching I was just talking about.
Going from one thing to a completely
different thing and onto another thing.
I think.
That I can make more time.
By just doing one thing.
This is making time a series
where I try to make more
time, time for the good stuff.
Audrey: Chapter 4: It's all one thing.
Here's the big idea today.
I can make all the time I
need, when I do just one thing.
When I say doing just one thing,
I actually mean that in two ways.
First by doing one thing at a time.
And also all the things that I do
are just part of one main thing.
And really that's the big
time maker right there.
Hannah: Ephesians four, one through seven.
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord,
urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the
calling with which you have been called.
With all humility and gentleness, with
patience, bearing with one another in
love, being diligent to keep the unity
of the spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one spirit,
just as you also were called
in one hope of your calling.
One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one, God, and father of all who is
overall and through all and in all.
But to each one of us, grace was given
according to the measure of Christ's gift.
The Host: I have a
family, a wife and kids.
I have a family and we are a family.
My big picture goal in this case.
My one thing that I need to do
is build a healthy, godly family.
Usually people do that by
breaking it down into pieces.
I need to build healthy, godly kids.
I often need to build a
healthy, godly marriage.
And of course I need to
build a healthy godly me.
But let's just take one of those
and break it down even further.
Uh, one more level.
Building healthy, godly kids.
First they need a good education.
Apparently, maybe I can't
trust the public schools.
I definitely can't afford private school.
Plus they're elitist, I think?
And I'm not good enough at
geometry and chemistry to
homeschool, plus I have to work.
So that leaves some fourth option maybe?
I need to get rid of screen
time and sugar, cook a healthy
variety of meals, in appropriate
quantities with organic ingredients
that my kids will actually love.
We have to do family devotions.
Create character building
experiences and fun family
vacations, N meaningful holidays.
I need them to go to church, clean
their rooms, do their homework, go to
soccer, piano, and let's say fencing.
That should get them into Harvard.
Now we also have doctor appointments,
coaching, cooking, cleaning, reading
at bedtime, laundry, school projects.
Oh, no, I forgot.
They're supposed to dress
up as an author today.
All of that is just for one of my kids.
We haven't even started talking about
building a healthy, godly marriage.
And apparently I now have negative
time to create a healthy godly me.
So I guess I'll just hope that doing
those other things will make up for it?
Maybe?
Except I don't have to
do any of those things.
I should do some of those things.
But that's too many things.
I don't have time for all of this.
I have time for just one thing.
Just one thing.
To build a healthy godly family.
And that's it.
That's something I can make time for.
That's something worth making time for
maybe that means signing up my kids for
soccer and fencing, and maybe it doesn't.
It definitely means prioritizing
their character and prioritizing God.
But only because that is
just part of the one thing.
The same thing.
There's also stuff that I'm not going
to be good at in raising my kids.
I'm not personally good at everything.
And let's be frank, neither are you.
But you are good at something.
Hannah: Ephesians four 11 through 13.
And he gave some as apostles, some
as prophets, some as evangelists,
some as pastors and teachers.
For the equipping of the saints for the
work of the ministry, for the building
up of the body of Christ, until we
all attain to the unity of the faith.
And of the knowledge of the son
of God, to a mature man, to the
measure of the stature, which
belongs to the fullness of Christ.
The Host: Too many things, too much stuff
doesn't make healthy, godly families.
It makes busy families.
And a busy family isn't healthy
and probably isn't even godly.
No matter how much you think
busy-ness means importance.
So.
Just do one thing.
Because that's all you can do.
Voice of the people: Hey, if I only
do one thing, aren't there some
necessary things that won't get done.
The Host: Only if you are
doing them by yourself.
You don't have time to
accomplish one thing by yourself.
You do have time to just do one thing.
It takes a village to raise a child.
So.
Go find the village.
Be the village.
That's your one thing,
just be the village.
Be one person who is part of a
family, which is part of a village.
Just do your part.
For the village, a village that
is brought together in Christ,
healthy and godly and all aspects.
And you have time for that.
You've got plenty of time for that.
You've got so much time for that,
that you'll have time leftover.
We are surrounded by men and
women willed into existence
by the God of time and space.
The very same God who sacrificed
his only begotten son.
Um, the cross of inhuman,
pettiness and envious cruelty so
that I can call God my father.
And you, my brother.
These men and women
walking through my day.
Like planets passing.
Are so filled with a divine reservoir
of gifting, talent, experience.
So bursting with the
infinite holy spirit of God.
That calling them, my neighbor is
likened to receiving a great inheritance.
Joining forces with them.
Creates a bottomless reserve
of time and love and plenty.
You can make all the time you
need just by doing one thing.
And joining with someone else.
Who just does one thing.
Voice of the people: That sounds
like the big picture, but sometimes
I actually need to sweat the details.
if I am only ever âbeing the village.
What do I do to make sure my
job, or marriage, or whatever,
doesn't fall off the rails?
The Host: Easy.
Just do one thing.
At a time.
Constantly switching between trying to
manage my job, my family, my personal time
with God, having fun, running errands,
scrolling on my phone and listening
to podcasts just makes me feel busier.
Your brain still treats
it like multitasking.
And in nearly every case,
multitasking just means doing two
things badly in quick succession.
Some of you are probably even listening
to this while working on something else.
Just do one thing at a time.
You'll do it better and do it right.
Here's how you can put it all
together again into just one thing.
Get together with your group.
Your group is part of your one thing.
And each member of your group
or family has a role or part and
a relationship to play in it.
Someone in your group is
probably the organized one,
the host or the food bringer.
In any marriage or group of adult
siblings, there's typically someone
who is the keeper of the calendar.
In your group, talk
about what your role is.
Everyone has one.
Even if you have to make it up.
Talk about what each person's gifting
is, but here is where you're really
going to hear the Holy Spirit.
If you don't know what your gifting
is, ask the others in your group.
If they have spent some time
with you, they're going to know.
They'll just tell you.
Of course pray about it ahead of time.
And as long as this isn't your first
one or two times spending time together.
God will use them to tell
you what your gifting is.
It's one of the most obvious
answers you'll ever get from God.
Now here's the part that is going
to be new for some of you listening.
Discuss how your group is gifted.
Sometimes this is easy because most
of your group may have the same gift.
But often each member of the
group is gifted differently.
So that the groups, composite makeup
results in a unique collective gift.
But just like an individual you'll
never really know your group or family's
gifting until you start trying things.
Whatever God blesses is usually it.
So talk with your group about
ways to serve together at your
church or in your community.
Do it together as a group, this
opens up a lot of possibilities.
For example, if you have a group of
eight people, you can have two of
you volunteer at a time once a week.
That means each person is only
doing something once a month.
But you all can cover for each other
during vacations busy seasons, et cetera.
Of course you can all serve together for a
seasonal opportunity or a one-time event.
This is how y'all can
explore your groups gifting.
And get feedback from other
volunteers and ministry leaders.
Find out what your group's gifting is.
Voice of the people: That
covers the role part for each
member and what your group has.
But what about the relationship
thing you were talking about?
The Host: That's a great question.
Let's talk about that in the next epi....
I'm just kidding.
Just kidding.
We do that every week.
The relationship part comes in to
sharing with your group, the parts of
doing your one thing that you're strong
in and the parts that you aren't.
This absolutely requires vulnerability.
And vulnerability requires time.
If you want to be responsible about it.
When your group knows and cares
about your strengths and weaknesses,
they will do what they can to
support you in your one thing.
Because they need you for theirs.
And for yours as a group.
Voice of the people: Okay.
To sum.
You're saying that I can make
more time by doing just one thing.
And I need to be working together
with others in order to do that.
So what if they aren't doing their part?
The Host: Okay, another great question.
And in all seriousness, we're
going to have to talk about
that in the next episode.