Pressed for Time?

Written by Sabrina O’Malone

This article is courtesy of ParentLife.

As a working Parent, you often are pressed for time. If you feel overwhelmed, it is time to take stock of your commitments and examine how you spend your time off the clock.

Be Selective
There are many opportunities that come our way — opportunities that look good and healthy. There is nothing inherently wrong with joining the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), belonging to an auxiliary club, or serving on the school board. Nor is there anything wrong with a few extracurricular activities for your children. These are all good things.

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The problem arises when activities keep the family struggling to keep up with a hectic schedule. It can be hard to let go of something good to make room for free time. The temporary anguish associated with cutting back, however, is worth the long-term joy of experiencing a peaceful family life. Ask the Lord where He would have your family expend its time and energy.

What About Ministry?
All of us need to carefully consider where God is calling us to serve but especially those of us who are employed in the paid workforce. It is such a temptation to want to take on the noble calling of church work. But overcommitment to even the church may not be where God is calling you to serve right now. If you feel pressed for time, minimizing or eliminating your nonessential involvements will free you up to take care of higher-priority activities. Just being more relaxed and available to your family may be the highest priority the Lord has for you right now.

Avoid Two Time Stealers
Where can you possibly cut back?

• The telephone. Phone time is one of the most popular nonessential time expenditures. Let’s face it: Women love to gab, and there is nothing wrong with talking to friends or helping others. But if you are under the impression that you are obligated to listen, offer advice, and let anyone with problems vent to you at any time, let me encourage you with this: There is a God — and He is not you! Prayerfully make a distinction between people who drain you and people who build you up. Spend more time interacting with the people who build you up and more time praying for the people who drain you.

• The television. Even busy families seem to find the time to tie up two or more hours a day watching TV. It is not easy to maintain a conversation while watching TV. Some would argue it is rude to interrupt someone while she is watching a TV show, and that it would be more polite to talk later. But as a working parent, you know all too well there is no later. If you only have a few hours between when you get home and your kids go to bed, how reasonable is it to expect anything to happen later? Prayerfully consider whether or not the TV has become a stumbling block in your family’s life and whether you can cut back to whatever extent the Lord leads you.

Sabrina O’Malone is president of WorkingMom.com (www.workingmom.com). Her Web site inspires millions all over the world to save time, energy, and money with free online resources. She and her husband, Daniel, reside near New York City, New York, where they are raising three children: Daniel, Christiana, and Angelica.

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