How does a pastor best use his time? What priorities should be reflected in his schedule? How do pastors handle inevitable emergencies and other unexpected adjustments to the schedule? And what to do with all the email?

These and other questions were on the table during the latest Sovereign Grace Leadership Interview podcast recording, “The Pastor and His Time.” The recording will be posted here before long.

Though intended for pastors, this series of podcasts has been well received by our other listeners as well. If you have a general interest in reading, determining the well-being of your soul, growing in joy, or redeeming the time, you may find the practical nature of these podcasts useful. You can find a list of them here.

This first transcribed excerpt is from the beginning of the latest podcast. The roundtable among Joshua Harris, Jeff Purswell, and C.J. begins with a scriptural definition of “time.”

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C.J. Mahaney: Jeff, I think the most prudent place to begin would be with a biblical perspective of time. What does Paul mean when he writes, “Redeem the time” or “Make the best use of the time” (Ephesians 5:16, Colossians 4:5)?

Jeff Purswell: I so appreciate that we are able to start there, because I think we are particularly vulnerable in our efficient, time-driven culture to falling into a view of time that is not biblical. You see this even in the way that time management techniques are offered. We can view time as though it has its own metaphysical existence. I know I can view it like time is marching on, time is something I have to conquer, and I am losing time—typically time is defeating me.

This idea of time as a quantity, that there is certain amount of time and no more, can lead to the illusion that the answer then is managing our time better. If I just manage my time better, if I use my time better, then this will answer my problems. To extrapolate on this, by using all my time better, I will have time for all kinds of things. The possibilities will be limitless.

Joshua Harris: And the condemnation is limitless as well.

JP: Exactly.

And this gives rise to time management techniques offered to pastors and church leaders as well that, you know, teach us how to use time more efficiently. And so we use time more efficiently, and then that means we can schedule more, and that means we can do more. The elusive “better use of time” is always out there.

Now, obviously we can use our time more wisely. We can be more efficient. I am sure we would all say there are times where we waste time. So it’s not to eliminate those as helpful aids.

But I think the Bible would call us to view time as any other thing: Time is God’s. He created it. He gives it to us as a gift. He placed us in time, and relates to us in time. And so I think the Bible would push us to place God at the center of our time. He rules it. He gives it. He gives us the responsibilities that we have. Any pastor looking at his to-do list, trusting they are from God, those assignments are to take place in the time that God has given.

And so we talk about “redeeming the time” (Ephesians 5:16, Colossians 4:5). When the Bible speaks of time, it is typically speaking not so much of chronological time—moments ticking away—but often referring to time as opportunities. So the issue is not “use your time better” (although, of course, we can all use our time better and should seek to do so), but there are opportunities God has given us, therefore we steward our lives to make sure we are seizing those opportunities.

If I am not mistaken, the same verb in both of these verses is literally “to buy back the time.” And I think a lot of translations render that well, “making the best use of your time” or “making the most of every opportunity.”

Interesting, when you look at the context of Colossians 4, it is teaching us about relating to non-believers. The days are evil, therefore be ready to share the gospel, be wise towards outsiders, making sure your words are seasoned with grace. And so “using your time” is to use the opportunities God provides to be a witness for the gospel.

In Ephesians 5 it talks about the days are evil, therefore don’t be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is. And so there the use of time is tied to the will of the Lord.

So all of that to say I think the Bible would not want us laboring under this fear that we are going to lose a moment, but rather being alert to the opportunities God gives us in time, and that he has given us time as a gift.

He is sovereign over time and sovereign over our opportunities. So we can approach time, not with a dread of fear, but with faith that there are things God has given us to do and we want to be alert to them.