Making the Most of your Valuable Commodity

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)

If time is money, we are called to treat each day as a valuable resource. Workdays are easier for me. I sit down each night and review the next day and the rest of the week. Most days follow a pattern of responsibility: weekly meetings, sermon preparation, administration, and pastoral care. Then, after carving out available hours, I make a priority list and fill in the rest of the day and week. More recently, I’ve worked at including personal time in my planning.

If you do not prioritize your personal and family time, it will get away from you. In his article, “Count Each Day as a Separate Life, Like Seneca,” Thomas Oppong helps make my point when he quotes Abraham Lincoln, “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” Taking each day as a commodity and stacking each day on top of the previous creates a life. Stagnation creates a stack of days with little value. When you are retired and personal time is more accessible, proper planning helps us invest in the life God has given us.

Today, sit down and plan your day. Think about each thirty-minute block of time. Write your day down in your planner. I live in the apple ecosystem, so I write my thoughts, plans, and ideas in “Reminders.” Then, after praying over my responsibilities, schedules, routines, and desires, I transfer them to my “Apple Calendar.” Sure, surprises and emergencies often change my plans for the day, but then I can reorganize and adjust. My prayer for guidance as I move through my morning planning process helps the Spirit move throughout my day. If I cannot do everything, the prayer reminds me God and I did the best we could considering the time we had today. Affirm your planning and invite God into your valuable day; your life will be richer, one day at a time.