Manage Energy, Not Time

I've heard and read much about time management. I wish I could say I've been helped by it. I really haven't. I recently saw this title: "Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time," on a list of books I should buy or borrow. Though I eventually got into the material and it was valuable, the title alone helped me immensely. Manage your energy. not your time. This is exactly right. It's not just physical energy either. It's creative energy and, for lack of a better word, "thinking" energy. Mental energy is what I mean. The things that drain it are everywhere. Checking the news on the Internet more than 5 times a day will do this. So will living through days that are repeats of prior days. If you are living a "Groundhog Day" life, you are losing energy. Boredom is exhausting. This is probably why traditional time management techniques are so limited in their outcomes. They are industrial and mechanical in their approach. They might save time on paper, but they do not save what makes time valuable. The key is to live an interesting life. It is our responsibility to make sure we do.  A safe, predictable, risk-free life often turns out to be an unproductive life. Worse yet is a life aiming for these things. When we call Jesus our Lord, we mean to call Him our manager. Pray that He will manage and redeem your time and your energy, so that you live a life that is interesting to Him and because of Him.

Rejections and Creativity

So, if this book of mine ever gets published, it looks like I'll have that typical testimony. I'll be able to tell people not to give up when they get down. I'll be able to list the number of rejections I received before I got my first contract. Right now, I'm resubmitting more material to one publisher, so that's not quite a rejection, but I do also have nine big, fat, juicy, confirmed rejections from some of the best known Christian publishers in the world. I know it's not enough for a good, tear-jerking story yet, but each one stinks. As I drink the cup of each rejection, I remind myself of one universal, undeniable truth: nothing of value is ever done outside the reach of rejection. From politics to art, from ministry to literature, rejection is nothing less than the soul-carving force of God. It, and sometimes I think it alone, is responsible for the best work that people anywhere ever do. The sting of rejection is necessary. Without it, there is no spark of creative excellence. This truth is more than something we tell ourselves when we fail. It is a barometer of how clear our view of reality is. If I somehow believe, because of my faith or some other distinguishing characteristic, that I have immunity from rejection, I am fooling myself. Ironically, I am also setting myself up for more and deeper rejection. Let me accept the rejection I have. Let me own it, so I don't sow the seeds for more of it. How about you? Rejection (or any other kind of failure) is in the eye of the rejected. What are being called to own?    

Currents

Soon, my sister Kathleen will be embarking on a round-the-world sailing adventure. Winds and currents are not things she and her sailing partner can take lightly. The winds and currents of life are the same. In my case, lately, the winds and currents have pushed the boat of my life in some interesting places. I won't write about the details, but some reading this who know me and know what's going on in our church know some of them. They involve expectations and plans. For example, I expected some new staff members in our church and some old ones to stay, but our staff is much smaller today than it was 6 months ago. This changes things. At the same time, I have more opportunities than I have ever had. All of it adds up to more work ... unless I step back. And here's the key. It's the key for me and anyone else going through something similar. A poor sailor fights the winds and currents; a skilled one harnesses them. In the days to come, I cannot decide to work harder or more. This will surely wear me out. I have to prayerfully interpret the currents in my life. God is sovereign after all. He directs the winds and currents at sea and in life. What does He want me do? The answer is not more. It might actually be less. If more is all I come up with, then I haven't prayed or thought enough about my situation. Ask the same question for yourself if winds and currents are playing strange tricks on your life. Lord, what do you want me to do now?  

 

Corners

Life sometimes feels like a series of surprises. We walk forward, turn the corner, and see something unexpected. My Caribbean cruise ended up in Newport, Rhode Island to avoid a hurricane. Sarah Palin is John McCain's running mate. The government now owns and runs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Unrelated to all this is the local news that Goodwill Church's building project is now funded. Hindsight sees the logic and even the predictability of changes, both in the news and in our personal lives, but living through them is always surprising. Who knows what's around the next corner? Whatever changes come can be described factually. The surprise comes in how they feel. Change is emotional. When Jesus was telling his disciples about his upcoming death, and it was days away instead of off in the future, it seems like they balked emotionally. It was supposed to be good news. He was going to "prepare a place" for us (John 14), but the feel of it was confusing. For many of us, navigating the emotions tied to change is tough. It doesn't matter if the changes are good or bad. The dialogs in John 14 and in other parts of the gospels give us clues as to how to deal with change emotionally. The disciples asked Jesus questions. We can do the same. If you struggle with change today, ask Jesus about it. With an open Bible in front of you, listen for the voice of God in the Word of God. In John 14, Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled." Change, good and bad, troubles our hearts. God knows it and comforts us with His Word.