Ep. 7: “Valuing Time Management”

Vertical Christianity – Ep. 7: “Valuing Time Management”

June 14, 2025 – Dr. David P. Craig, Founder, Vertical Living Ministries 

Key Scripture:  Ephesians 5:15-17, Therefore look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. On account of this, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 

Three Kinds of ways to understand God’s will:

1. His Decretive, Sovereign or Hidden Will.
2. His Will of Disposition.
3. His Preceptive Will. 

The Center of God’s Will by Andrew Murray

First, He brought me here. It is by His will I am in this strait place.

In that fact I will rest.

Next, He will keep me here in His love and give me grace to behave as His child.

Then, He will make the trial a blessing, Teaching me the lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me a grace He means to bestow.

Last, in His good time He can bring me out again. 

How and when, He knows. 

So, Iet me say, I am here, By God’s appointment In His keeping, under His training, for His time.

Principles on Managing Your Time:

1. Prioritize Time with God above everything else 

• Jonathan Edwards, “We should not be time wasters; we should be time improvers, using our days for divine purpose.”

• Martin Luther, “I preach as though Christ was crucified yesterday, rose from the dead today, and was coming back tomorrow.” (Change preach to “live” or “spend my time”)

2. Prioritize the most important people in your life

• “If you are planting for a year, plant grain. If you are planting for a decade, plant trees. If you are planting for a century, plantpeople.” ~ Old Chinese Proverb
• Principle from the Life of Jesus, “More time spent with fewer people equals greater lasting impact for God.” 

• John Wesley, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”

(3)  Prioritize the hardest things that need to be done over easy things

• Edward Young, “Procrastination is the thief of time.”

(4)  Prioritize your health

• Gary Thomas, “Whether you’re in your twenties, thirties, or forties – or facing your fifties, sixties, seventies, or beyond – one thing is certain: you’re doing it in a body, a body that not only contains a soul but affects your soul as well…so understanding my body as an instrument of service to God is giving me renewed motivation to take better care of it in the face of my cravings for laziness…Christians who don’t take their health seriously don’t take their mission seriously.” 

(5)  Prioritize matters that will last for eternity

• John Charles Ryle, “What we weave in time we wear in eternity.”

• Erwin W. Lutzer, “Only eternal values can give meaning to temporal ones. Time must be the servant of eternity.”

• William James, “The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.”

(6) Learn to say “No” to things that really don’t matter in light of eternity 

• Chuck Swindoll, “Our goal is not to find more time, but to use time more wisely.”

(7) Plan to Rest

• Vance Havner, “Jesus knows we must come apart and rest awhile, or else we may just plain come apart.”

Recommended Resources on Managing Your Time

• Tim Challies.Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity.
• Alan Fadling. An Unhurried Life: Following Jesus’ Rhythms of Work and Rest.
• Matt Perman. What’s Best Next: How The Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done.