Outsmarting the Time Thief

Does "not enough time" disease plague you? It's very common, but I have a 4-step solution that can help. You have enough time to do those things that are most important to you. But first, you must decide what those things are. If you don't, then you will be a victim of The Time Thief. According to Jesus:

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10)."

I believe that the enemy's biggest theft is to steal time from you. He tells you that you don't have time for the things that are really important, like your relationship with God, your life's purpose, your health, and ensuring your relationships with others glorify God. At the same time, he subtly convinces you that you have all the time in the world. So you distract yourself with addictions, grudges, destructive relationships, or obsessions with television, games, clothes, and cars. The only way to outsmart the time thief that is to have a plan for your day so that the important things get done. And you need God to help you set right priorities. In Psalm 90:12, the psalmist prays,

"So teach us to number our days,That we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Recognize that your time is limited. You can't do everything, but you can do some things. It's up to you to decide what those "some things" are going to be. First, make a decision right now what things you value in your life. May I suggest that your relationship with God become number one? In the above scripture the psalmist prays to gain a heart of wisdom. Wisdom is merely the ability to discern right choices from wrong choices, or when faced with two right choices, the ability to discern the best choice. Psalm 111:10 says:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise."

Fear in this case means respect and reverence. Because you recognize that God is the source of all that you are and all that you have, you make time for Him. The founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, the late Mary Kay Ash, gave great wisdom to her staff by advising they set three main priorities, "God first, family second, and business third." Now with that advice in mind, here are the 4 steps that will help you outsmart the time thief: 1. Plan your day...in advance: Decide the day before what you are going to do the next day and write it down. Strive to write down only 5-7 things to start. Be sure that you put your top priorities (see the above) on the list. Health-related goals must be a priority because being healthy will give you energy and passion to enjoy your relationships more and excel in your business or career. 2. Rehearse the day: When you wake up, don't get out of bed right away. Take a moment to thank God for giving you a brand new day. Then take about five minutes to visualize yourself accomplishing all of the goals you've set for yourself that day with ease, enjoyment and enthusiasm. 3. Account for the day: As you accomplish each task on your list, check them off. It's a great way to ensure you stay on target. Resist the temptation to add to your list unless you've already done those things that you've set as a priority. And here's a common mental trick the enemy will try to use to derail you, "I don't feel like it." This is especially true if you've decided to make health a priority. But remind yourself that when you exercise and eat right, you are choosing to be:

• More positive
• More energetic
• More alert
• More attractive
• Healthier
• Bolder
• Stronger
• Slimmer

And then, get up, put on your shoes/exercise clothes, and shake that thing! 4. Review the day: At the end of the day, write down how your day went in a small notebook or journal. Keep it beside your bed if it helps you remember.

• What went well?
• What roadblocks did you face?

If you didn't follow through, what was the challenge and what will you do differently next time to overcome it? It is far more effective to make course corrections on the fly rather than making the same errors over and over again because you aren't learning from mistakes the first time. This is a very empowering process and it makes you look forward to each day because you know that you are making progress towards those goals that are most important to you. I hope you will take this wisdom to heart and stop letting the enemy rob you of time. Are you any closer to the person you know God is calling you to be? If not, then I recommend that you start the above four steps so you can gain a heart of wisdom and take back your time! Be blessed with health, healing, and wholeness, Kimberly Taylor Author of the Take Back Your Temple program P.S. When it comes to weight loss, do you often know what you should do but have a hard time doing it? I struggled with this issue on my own weight loss journey, but I discovered that “Nothing is different until you think differently.” - Pastor James MacDonald The value of the Take Back Your Temple program is that you will learn how to think differently through using Biblical keys to overcome obstacles. You’ll discover how to win the Spiritual and mental battle that often causes us to become inconsistent and get off-track on our weight loss journey. Join a community of like-minded Christians losing weight and keep it off. Click here to learn more about the Take Back Your Temple program