Working from home as a freelance writer is great. I love the flexibility, but sometimes the cat in my file basket, TV news on in the other room and, frankly, the freedom to update my social media sites whenever I want can be a bit distracting. So, I pack up my portable office and set up shop at a few local places that offer a wifi connection and some semblance of peace and quiet. But, here I am at Hastings writing my articles and I am lured by a Linkedin notification and lulled by the smell of the Caramel Macchiato. Maybe it’s the summer day and my flip-flop clad feet that are keeping me from being my own taskmaster. I try to keep regular hours and start working at 9 a.m. so I can wrap up my writing assignments by 5 p.m. But, some days, like today, I will be working through dinner time or through the evening to deliver my promised projects thanks to the distractions and daydreaming. I can’t help chastise myself on the ills of procrastination and vow once again to heed the experts’ time management tips that I bookmark on a regular basis. Clicking through one of those bookmarks today, I found some pretty sound advice from a fellow writer in California, who put a spiritual spin on the dilemma.

Author Ginny Hamlin writes that as Christians, we should be managing our time because it is not ours.

“Just as we should think of our possessions and money as on loan to us from God, so is our time. Time management is important because God calls us to be good stewards of all that he has entrusted to us,” she says.

Ouch. OK, that really hits home. Not only with my work schedule, but with how I manage my household responsibilities and the time I’m giving to my relationship with Christ. Did I choose sleeping in on Sunday over church…again? Did I choose TV over talking to my family…again? When was the last time I put reading my Bible on my Outlook Calendar and didn’t ignore the reminder?

The answer to how we should prioritize our commitments is in there, by the way. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

So, instead of imparting a long list of practical ways to manage your time, I will encourage you to put that verse at the top of your To-Do List.

Everything else will fall into place.

Now, back to work…