Too Much on Your Plate
“Time Management in your Home”

December, 2005

by: Becky Barnfather

In September we discussed managing priorities. We talked about making your spiritual priority getting into God’s Word and praying daily, the absolute first and most important place to begin your day with. Setting aside a specific time each day to open up your Bible, to read & meditate on the Word of God and to pray specifically is your first priority in the world of time management.

Lets look at time management with regards to our home; we may see that we have increasingly become more and more over committed. It’s easy to do, really. Starting off with just one sport here, another season of that sport there, then finding ourselves going to two or three Bible Studies, involved in AWANA, Calvary Kids and on and on. None of these activities are a problem in and of themselves. Its just that somehow priorities have shifted…life seems out of balance. Have you gone to the extreme on one side of your life, over-scheduling yourself, not even balancing your time and relationship with God or maybe even your husband?

What happens when we over schedule ourselves? Having too many activities or plans with your children, yourself or your family can cause you to take that precious time away from God. You may be too tired to get your daily time in with the Lord. Or, perhaps you begin to go through the motions only to say you are keeping up with your Bible Study instead of truly pondering God’s Word…instead of having a deep and intimate time with Him.

Ecclesiastes 7:18 says “It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them.” The context of this verse talks about avoiding extremes, that is legalism and immorality, and leading a balanced life that honors God. It is keeping God at the forefront of our lives, not our schedules and activities, that guides us in ways that please and honor Him.

How do you know if you have too many activities or ministries that you have your hands in? Well, take a moment; think about how many nights a week you spend out, away from home or how many different activities you and your family are involved in. Are there more nights and activities away from home than actually in it? That’s a sure sign you’re doing too much. This causes less opportunities for you to engage with your children, teach them God’s Word, or even spend time playing with them. How about the way you feel? Are you tired all the time? Are you constantly worrying about keeping up with all the work? You’re doing too much!

We see a reference to the balanced life of young women in Titus 2:4-5, “…encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the Word of God will not be dishonored.” How can you work at home, etc. if you’re never home? I recently heard a speaker say “Keeping a godly home with excellence for one’s own husband and children is the Christian woman’s non-negotiable responsibility.” How true and convicting this statement is!

Is it wrong to play sports, do ministry or keep busy? Absolutely not, it’s great to be diligent and committed and faithful! But, sacrificing time with your spouse, your children and most importantly your time with God is certainly not God honoring! You can’t possibly devote yourself fully to your first priorities if you are gone 4 or 5 afternoons or nights a week. God commands wives to “love their husbands” (Titus 2:4). Can you devote yourself to your husband, get to know him and love him by being devoted to so many other activities?

If you’re convicted of having too much “on your plate” then perhaps this is your opportunity to evaluate what you are doing and why you are doing it! Are you simply a person who never says “no” or wants to please others? Galatians 1:10 says, “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” In other words, are most of the activities or ministries you do glorifying God or making you look good? Is the reason you are involved in so many things because it makes you feel good? Is any of it getting in the way of your time spent with your Lord or family?

If you see that there is too much “on your plate,” that your life is unbalanced, ask God what areas you could cut back. Take time this week to pray about this and see what activities you could do without. It’s so easy to say “yes” to so many things, thinking you are the only one who can do it. But really, you aren’t going to hold the whole world together, God is!

Use your time to please and honor Him!