I’ll be the first to admit that my schedule is often a wreck.

With a calendar stacked with appointment after appointment, I’m constantly out of time and in a rush. And in an average school semester I find myself falling sick at least 3 times simply because I wasn’t getting enough rest.

It makes me wonder what Jesus’ secret was. How was He able to minister so effectively even while so many clamoured for his attention? And on top of it all, He was discipling 12 men!

3 THINGS TO MAKE TIME FOR

1. Make time to rest

So many of us have a tendency to carry our office desk all the way back home. It’s hard to find the time to rest. Yet we need to remember that God created everything within a 6–day work week. He set aside a day to rest (Genesis 2:2-3) – the Sabbath!

Since God made us in His image and rested on one day of the week, we should follow Him – we weren’t made to work 24/7.

It might not be popular belief, but taking time to rest isn’t counter–productive at all. Intentional rest helps ensure that we are meeting the conditions necessary for us to perform up to design, just as the creator would have wanted.

If we want to step into our destinies as the men and women He created us to be – time with God is the most important kind of time.

2. Make time for family

Working in Singapore, it’s easy to neglect family time. This is the thing I’m most guilty of. I struggle with not being a yes-man, and overbooking my schedule so that I can have time for my family.

“Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)

How can we honour our parents or families if we won’t make time for them? How do we even get to know them as people if we won’t put down the phone at home and have real and honest conversations?

I realise that relationships only work if you make the time to grow them. The grass isn’t greener on the other side – it’s green where you water it. So take the time to talk to your parents, take the time to play with your younger siblings. These relationships don’t grow without investment.

3. Make time for God

How much time do we give to God? The very best parts of our day or just a couple of minutes here and there? Our relationship with God works in one similar way to human ones – it also needs time to develop.

If you don’t regularly spend time alone with God, or aren’t sure how – you could start by reading a chapter from Psalms every day. Then journal what God speaks to you in that time with Him. We can be confident that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (James 4:8).

And if you’re on the move, spend that time in worship. It can be as simple as listening to a hymn in the train and meditating on its lyrics. If we want to step into our destinies as the men and women He created us to be – time with God is the most important kind of time.

Don’t let your work rule your life.

We need to define what is truly important in our lives. We need to know what is worth our time beyond work and meeting our deadlines. So when it’s crunch-time, don’t forget what’s important as well – what cannot be replaced.

If you’re set apart, then your clock should be set differently from the world as well.