RBC Pastoral staff is reading through Spiritual Leadership by J.O. Sanders.
We discussed Chapter 12, The Leader and His Time, today.
Here are the parts that stood out to me:
A leader will seldom say, “I don’t have the time.” Such an excuse is usually the refuge of a small-minded and inefficient person. Each of us has the time to do the whole will of God for our lives. Our problem is not too little time, but making better use of the time we have.
In the face of this sobering reality, the leader must carefully select priorities. He must thoughtfully weigh the value of different opportunities and responsibilities. The leader cannot spend time on secondary matters while essential obligations scream for attention.
The strength of moral character is conserved by refusing the unimportant.
Often the pressure a spiritual leader feels comes from assuming tasks that God has not assigned; for such tasks the leader cannot expect God to supply the extra strength required.
A leader needs a balanced approach to time lest it become his bondage and downfall. Without a grip on time, the leader works under unnecessary strain. Even when the leader has done the utmost to fulfill daily obligations, vast areas of work always remain. Every call for help is not necessarily a call from God, for it is impossible to respond to every need.
Procrastination, the thief of time, is one of the devil’s most potent weapons for defrauding us. The habit of ‘putting off’ is fatal to spiritual leadership. Its power resides in our natural reluctance to come to grips with important decisions. Making decisions, and acting on them, always requires moral energy. But the passing of time never makes action easier; quite the opposite. Most decisions are more difficult a day later, and you may also lose an advantage by such a delay.