By Jeff Logue Ph.D.
Over the summer, my family and I had an opportunity to spend two weeks in Hawaii. It was the vacation of a lifetime for our family! A member of our extended family works for a wealthy business owner who allowed us all to spend time in a condo he owns in Maui. He was so accommodating, and ensured us that we could make ourselves at home. That’s exactly what we did! We slept in the beds, ate the food in the refrigerator, used the towels, and the beach chairs as if they all belonged to us. It was the most incredible vacation we’ve ever had.
As our time begin to draw to an end, we were very careful to wash the sheets, fold the laundry, sweep the floors, and basically leave the condo in better condition than we found it. My wife and I felt like it was the right thing to do – a way of showing gratitude to our wealthy host. It was kind of him to trust us with his property while he was away and we were grateful.
Reflecting on that experience, I’m reminded of Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-29. In this story we learn that the Master (God) will reward those who can be trusted with his resources and property. Let me be clear, nothing belongs to any of us. It’s all His and we are only managers of what we are given access to. What have you been given access to?
Time: How do you spend your time? Is it in hot pursuit of your own wants and desires, or do you manage the time you’re given in a way that benefits those around you? We all have the same amount of time, yet some are better managers of it. How do some get more accomplished than others? Time management is about control. We have to control our time and tell every minute how we are going to use it. I suggest using it for something beneficial to God’s work, your business, your family, or your dreams. Leave the television, Facebook, twitter and all other time wasters behind. They don’t produce success in your life and generally cause you to waste time. There is a time and place for these elements in your life but be careful how much time you spend daily on “time wasters!”
Energy: How do you use your energy each day? Do you spend it on productive activities? Like time, energy is finite and must be conserved, managed, and expended with wisdom. You only have so much and therefore, need to manage it for the benefit of all involved.
Intelligence: This is defined as the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. We all have a level of intelligence and a skill set that we’ve acquired over the course of our lives. Some of it is gathered in a classroom, while some, are picked up as we go through our lives. Where ever you’ve picked it up from – use it to its maximum potential. That being said, let me be clear about something: What got you here -won’t get you there (also the title of a great book). You have to keep learning and adding to that intelligence bank account. Everything you’ve learned up to this point in life has prepared you to take the next step. What you experience today – prepares you for what is coming tomorrow.
Opportunities: We often pray for opportunities, but rarely pray that we are ready for them. The result? Amazing opportunities pass us by and we never take advantage of them. Perhaps because we didn’t see them coming and they took us by surprise. Perhaps because we weren’t ready for them when they arrived. It might be a business opportunity that we don’t have the training for, a relationship that we aren’t mature enough to handle, or even an investment venture that we don’t have the capital to invest in. Whatever it is, it may only knock once. Make sure your standing at the door.
Relationships: This may be the most important thing you are ever entrusted with. Learn to value the people in your life and show them how valuable they are. This is not done with gifts and trinkets – it is paid for with time and emotional energy (see above). Focus you time and energy on deeper and more honest communication, especially with your spouse and children. Put in the effort to change the behaviors that drain your relationships. Finally, get serious about having fun. A family that laughs together, stays together. Fill your home with joy, happiness, and laughter – it’s the best way to keep your kids close to home and make sure your core values survive the difficult times that life will surely bring.
Resources: This covers just about everything else. Your property, home, boats, car, and certainly your money. My wife and I have lived our marriage with two rules regarding resources:
#1 Live on less than we make. This means living below our means instead of spending everything we have. It forces us to save for future and give to others.
#2 It all belongs to God. This means using all our resources to be bring glory to Him. We open up our home to the church youth group for Bible studies every month, we invite people over for dinner and experience mutual encouragement, our home is a sanctuary for kids after a long day at school, and we like to give money and resources to those in need.
The Bible reminds us that… “the earth and all that is in it belongs to the Lord, the earth and all who live in it are His (Psalm 24:1). We never really own anything while we trod this sod – it’s all on loan from God. How are you managing God’s assets? Can you be trusted with more? You want more, but what are you doing with what you have already been given?