When I am planning my day I often ask the wrong questions: Do I have time to visit anyone today? How am I going to create order out of the chaos which is my desk? Which of the events coming up demands my attention most urgently? I count it a good result at the end of the day if I feel in control of my workload and if I have managed to conduct a meeting without making a fool of myself. These should not be the primary motivations of anyone, let alone a minister.
Better questions to start with would be: Who am I going to visit today? What can I do today which will give comfort to the troubled, encourage the hesitant and move people on in their journey of faith? How can I make a positive contribution to the lives of others? Some degree of admin may be helpful or even necessary in achieving these objectives, but it should be factored into my timetable after my more direct dealings with people, not before.
Checklist: (Using the four criteria, Biblical? wise advisors? experience? Spirit?) The Bible is not a handbook on how to manage time and run organisations (although it does have some hints on such thing), it is a book about God’s dealings with people and his desire for us to love one another. If you were to ask what ordained ministry is about I can’t imagine anyone putting admin above people in their response. I do feel frustrated when (as at present) there is a huge backlog of urgent and important admin looming over me – can backlogs loom? – but that is peanuts compared to the guilt I feel when I realise how I have been neglecting those who are ill or otherwise in need. And yes, it does feel that the Spirit is prompting me to take this principle seriously, starting today!
So this becomes my first recorded "Get It Right" Prompt. (see here for explanation)
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