Time is one of the most valuable resources God has given us. Unlike money, we can’t earn more of it. In the eternal perspective, our lives are brief and can end any time so it makes sense that we should use it wisely.
The Bible has a number of passages that speak to this truth including:
“Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12
“O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you.” – Psalm 34:4-5
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” – Ephesians 5:15–16
How should I live and spend my time, knowing that my days are numbered? A helpful thought exercise you’ve probably heard is to consider how you would spend your time if you only had 6 months left to live. You would probably change your priorities, yet most of us do not live this way in the day to day.
How should I spend my time knowing that there are eternal consequences? How I grow to be more like Christ has eternal consequences? How I’ve used earthly resources for Kingdom gains and how I’ve spent my time can have eternal consequences.
These are big life questions to wrestle with but for kids it can start with simply teaching about time management.
As a homeschool parent you know the importance of time management! Teaching your kids to use their time well helps them become disciplined and productive. They need to learn how to balance their schoolwork, chores, free time, and other activities. If your kids are like mine they also need to learn how to focus on the task at hand and not get distracted! (Looking at you Legos!)
Creating routines or daily schedules can help younger kids. Thankfully we’ve noticed that our high school aged son is able to manage his time pretty well on his own.
Kids should understand that spending time with the Lord in prayer and Bible study needs to be included in their schedule. Are we parents modeling this well?
A related issue that even we adults wrestle with is how we use our free time. Is downtime mindless scrolling on social media or is it pursuing a hobby, learning a new skill, or spending time with a friend? What we model to our kids in this area can leave an impression.
Rest is also an essential aspect of time management! Are we taking adequate time to rest!
Stewarding our time for the Lord is not only practical but can have eternal impact.
Here are some ideas to try with your kids:
Prioritize God: Start your day with devotionals or prayer, modeling putting God first. If you can’t start your day that way, find a time to do this every day. Include individual and family devotional times.
“Time Tithing”: Encourage them to dedicate a specific amount of time each day or week to serving others, pursuing a God-given passion, or developing a God-given gift or talent.
Limit Screen Time: Help them see that excessive screen time can consume hours that could be used for creativity, learning, or connecting with family. Lots of studies show how harmful screen time is to kids too, so consider if they even need a phone or tablet in the first place and if so, how and when will it be used. (Let’s model this well parents!)
Scheduling: Our kids frequently ask us what we’re doing that day or week. “What are we doing today?” Multiply that by the number of kids! We eventually got a calendar and put all kid/family related activities on the calendar. Does this stop them from asking? A ha, no, but we can poi them to the calendar plus it can be a good jumping off point for the “Hey, we’re hoping to go to a park play this afternoon if you can get all your schoolwork done” discussion.
Goal Setting: Teach them to set realistic goals for their schoolwork and extracurriculars, showing them how to manage their time effectively to achieve those goals. You can help them decide on steps along they way that build towards their goal.
Serving: Serving others is an essential part of the Christian life and we can start teaching our kids this by helping them identify ways they can serve individually or as a family. For example, our older kids help out in the church children’s ministry once or twice a month. What age-appropriate ways can they serve? (Chores are service to the family as well!) Maybe there is a ministry that your whole family could do together?
Further reading
5 Ways to Guide Your Teen in the Art of Time Management
