Free Time? What Free Time?

by Amanda Smith, 1/11/2006

A schedule is key to living a lifestyle of prayer. The reason is simple, if we don’t schedule it, it won’t happen. When we live without a schedule for our free hours, the principle comes into action that ‘what seems most important at that very moment is what we will do’. If we live according to our daily whims and wishes, we live for the moment and for the hour. But, on the other hand, if we focus our time we live with our hearts and lives set on eternity and a future reward, not momentary pleasure. A schedule brings freedom because it sets up a structure for us to operate in.

I love the freedom of a schedule for several reasons:

1. I get to plan my rest. I had thought a schedule would make me work 16 hours of the day, but to the contrary. I get to plan rest, time to hang out with friends, and even open hours when nothing is scheduled. My body and mind need rest, and with a schedule I find that I take better care of myself than without one.
2. I have a structure to return to. When I do deviate from my schedule, for whatever reason, I love to have a structure to return to. I check my schedule, see that it is my time to study the book of Isaiah or cook dinner or whatever, and I move on to doing so. I don’t spend time wondering what I should do, or sitting around doing nothing, because all of my time is designated for a purpose.
3. It’s not cast in stone. Occasionally you will find yourself updating your schedule in little areas. Every month you should reevaluate the entire thing. Are you following the schedule? What have you scheduled for too short or too long or at a bad time? Do you need more sleep or less?
4. I am pursuing my goals. A schedule allows me to choose my goals and to choose how I will reach those goals. I can decide if I want to learn a musical instrument, study a certain book of the Bible, pursue a certain career, or pursue certain friendships. I don’t live for the moment, I live for what I want to achieve in 1 year, 10 years and this lifetime!
5. I don’t always follow my schedule. I know that in general I will follow my schedule 80% of the time. Things change, I plan poorly and for whatever reason, I deviate from my plan. And, I have the freedom to do so, all in the knowledge that I have set goals and I am working towards reaching them.

So, I encourage you, make a schedule! Even if you only have 3 hours free time a day, set some goals of what you want to achieve, short and long-term, and start designating your time with what you want to do. Begin with the easy things – meal times, sleep times, work or school times and then fill in the rest. A schedule comes together very easily. Finally, find an accountability partner who will keep you on track with following your schedule. You can do it on your own, but partnering with a friend keeps both of you in check and lets you encourage each other.