BE MINDFUL OF THE SCHEDULE OF OTHERS
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:15-16).
Did you ever meet someone who had no regard for your time? I’m sure you didn’t enjoy it. Now, if you didn’t enjoy it, then you ought to always regard the time and schedule of others in your dealings with people. If you could take the time to plan your day and prioritize your activities, you ought to expect that those you meet would have done the same.
Don’t shift or postpone appointments haphazardly; it could mess things up for someone else. There’re certain things in life that aren’t in unending supply; they’re limited; one of them is time. There’s joy and fulfilment you get when you respond to people promptly and see the look of gratitude on their faces for saving their
time. When people meet you, they ought to be glad they did; they ought to leave you happier, and one sure way of ensuring this is by
valuing their precious time.
If you were to schedule an appointment at work, for example, try as much as possible not to make open-ended appointments. It’s better to say, “See me at 5.15pm” and be ready at that time, than to say, “See me between 5 and 5.30pm,” and keep the person guessing when exactly to show up. And if for any reason, you know you wouldn’t be ready at the time you planned, reach out ahead of the agreed time to cancel or reschedule, tendering your apologies.
Do your best not to destabilize other people’s day. Of course, there’s the flip side to this; you could be the one who’s supposed to see someone, but you’ve fixed the same time to see five other people across the city! You’re definitely going to keep at least one or more of them waiting for you, and that’s not okay. Even as the boss in the office, be sensitive to the schedules of your subordinates. Successful people are time-conscious.
PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you for your wisdom at work in me, causing me to use time wisely and prioritize my activities for today. The Holy Spirit guides me to be productive and effective in everything I do today, to significantly make progress, advance the work of the Kingdom, and improve my life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Ecclesiastes 3:1; Psalm 90:12
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Peter 1:22-2:1-25 & Ezekiel 29-30
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Jude 1:1-11 & Daniel 11-12
