Pastoral Ministry

Chapter 14—Time Management

Success or failure in ministry depends much on one's use of time—Some might now have been thorough workmen had they made a good use of their time, feeling that they would have to give an account to God for their misspent moments. They have displeased God because they have not been industrious. Self-gratification, self-love, and selfish love of ease have kept some from good, withheld them from obtaining a knowledge of the Scriptures that they might be thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Some do not appreciate the value of time and have idled away in bed the hours that might have been employed in the study of the Bible.—Testimonies for the Church 2:499. PaM 81.1

Arise early and economize your moments so you have time for Bible study—By rising early and economizing their moments, ministers can find time for a close investigation of the Scriptures. They must have perseverance, and not be thwarted in their object, but persistently employ their time in a study of the Word, bringing to their aid the truths which other minds, through wearing labor, have brought out for them, and with diligent, persevering effort prepared to their hand. There are ministers who have been laboring for years, teaching the truth to others, while they themselves are not familiar with the strong points of our position. I beg of such to have done with their idleness. It is a continual curse to them. God requires them to make every moment fruitful of some good to themselves or to others.—The Review and Herald, May 12, 1885. PaM 81.2

Take a book with you—Ministers should devote time to reading, to study, to meditation and prayer. They should store the mind with useful knowledge, committing to memory portions of Scripture, tracing out the fulfillment of the prophecies, and learning the lessons which Christ gave to his disciples. Take a book with you to read when traveling on the cars or waiting in the depot. Employ every spare moment in doing something. In this way an effectual door will be closed against a thousand temptations.—Testimonies for the Church 4:412. PaM 81.3

Ministers should not spend too much time with business matters, settling church difficulties, or in long committee meetings—To every man is given his work. Those who enter the ministry engage in a special work and should give themselves to prayer and to the speaking of the Word. Their minds should not be burdened with business matters. For years the Lord has been instructing me to warn our ministering brethren against allowing their minds to become so engrossed with business matters that they will have no time to commune with God and to have fellowship with the Spirit. A minister cannot keep in the best spiritual frame of mind while he is called upon to settle little difficulties in the various churches. This is not his appointed work. God desires to use every faculty of His chosen messengers. Their mind should not be wearied by long committee meetings at night, for God wants all their brain power to be used in proclaiming the gospel clearly and forcibly as it is in Christ Jesus.—Evangelism, 91. PaM 81.4

Do not waste time with chronic church grumblers—The ministers of Christ should take their position, and not be hindered in their work by these agents of Satan. There will be enough of these to question, and quibble, and criticize, to keep the ministers of God constantly busy, if they will allow themselves to be detained from the great work of giving the last saving message of warning to the world. If the church has no strength to stand against the unsanctified, rebellious feelings of church grumblers, it is better to let church and grumblers go overboard together than lose the opportunity of saving hundreds who would make better churches, and have the elements existing within themselves of strength and union and power.—Evangelism, 371. PaM 82.1

Jesus organized His day so working people could be ministered to in the evening—All day He ministered to those who came to Him; in the evening He gave attention to such as through the day must toil to earn a pittance for the support of their families.—Evangelism, 652. PaM 82.2

Take time for your family—Ministers’ children are in some cases the most neglected children in the world, for the reason that the father is with them but little, and they are left to choose their own employment and amusement.—The Adventist Home, 354. PaM 82.3

Do not spend too much of your time attending to home matters—Some ministers linger about their homes, and run out on the Sabbath, and then return and exhaust their energies in farming or in attending to home matters. They labor for themselves through the week, and then spend the remnant of their exhausted energies in laboring for God. But such feeble efforts are not acceptable to Him. They have no mental or physical strength to spare. At best their efforts are feeble enough. But after they have been engrossed and entangled all through the laboring days of the week with the cares and perplexities of this life, they are wholly unfitted for the high, the sacred, the important work of God.—Testimonies for the Church 1:471. PaM 82.4