Manhood from 5-9
by on Feb 4th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
"The way we employ the surplus hours after provision has been made for work, meals, and sleep will determine if we develop into mediocre or powerful people."
- J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership, p. 93
If you wish to become a leader in your work, organization, church, family, or marriage, you will need to master the use of your “extra” time. What you do with this undirected time will make all the difference in your life, and I wish that someone had hammered this point over my head far sooner than when J. Oswald Sanders did at age 22.
Undirected time can be a blessing or a curse, depending on how we have utilized it in our lives. Some men have used this time by strengthening their bodies, earning extra degrees, serving people without need for pay, developing stronger relationships with their wives and children, sitting at the feet of Jesus and His Word, or trembling before the throne of the Most High God in fervent prayer. Men like this start the next day better equipped than those who warm the couch, fill their stomachs, feed their lusts, or chase their dreams, literally.
Growing as a man does not stop just because we’ve punched out of work or school. The greatest growth is potentially waiting for us after we have been able to address the basic needs of the day. Please, I beg you, please don’t waste it on a personal agenda. Sanders is not calling men to become workaholics. Undirected time is a gift that demands good stewardship. God will cause you to excel if you seek to honor Him with it.