Schedule a buffer for yourself

source: RW Ministry Toolbox

...The faster you go, the more margin you need.



I'm guessing many of you have no white space in your appointment
books. It's absolutely crammed with appointments and reminders and
tasks. You've left no margin in your life, no place for rest, and I
think God would say, "This is not good!"


The truth is, you can't hope for space in your schedule or pray for
space in your schedule or expect somebody else to provide space in
your schedule. If you're going to free up some space for yourself, if
you're going to allow some down time and build some buffer zones into
your life, you're going to have to make the decision to do so. No one
else will do it for you.


This means actually leaving some empty spaces in your planner – a
pretty scary thought to some of us. But the result is that your Palm
Pilot won't reveal the word "Overload" every time you open it up.


Here's a fact about life: The faster you go, the more margin you need.
If you're going 70 miles per hour down the freeway, you want more than
three inches between you and the other car, don't you? It's no
different in life. Most of us in ministry have lives that are filled
to the brim with activity. You start your day running and it only gets
crazier as the day goes on. Since you're going so fast, you need
margin all the more. You need to build that margin into your day.


Why do we find ourselves having to work all the time? The Bible tells
us very clearly that if we don't allow space into our schedule, if we
just work all the time, we're foolish. Ecclesiastes 10:15 says, "Only
someone too stupid to find his way home would wear himself out with
work."


Don't you like the Bible? It cuts straight to the point. It's deals
very bluntly and honestly with our struggles.


It reminds me of the guy who comes home with a big pile of work he
needs to finish. His little kindergarten daughter looks at the pile
and asks him why he's working so hard and why he always has to bring
work home. The father looks at her and says, "The problem is, I just
don't get it all finished at work so I need to bring it home and get
it done here."


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If I really want to last in life, I've got to stop and realize there's
a whole journey of life to live. I've got to remember it's not how
fast I live that's important; it's how well I live.

Rick Warren
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The daughter looks up at him and says, "Daddy, I think they should put
you in the slower group."


Why is it we have to feel so important that we have to keep every
moment of every day busy? Why do we stress load everything? Why do we
have the mindset that everything has to be done right now, and
wherever we're going, we have to get there quickly? The truth is -
life is not a race; it's a journey.


If I really want to last in life, I've got to stop and realize there's
a whole journey of life to live. I've got to remember it's not how
fast I live that's important; it's how well I live.


Pastor (or whatever your vocation is), some of us just need someone to
give us permission to slow down. Why not consider this your
permission?

Rick Warren