Redeeming Your Time

Redeeming Your Time Plot Summary

Introduction

Time management isn't merely about squeezing more tasks into your day—it's about aligning your moments with God's purposes for your life. Many of us find ourselves perpetually overwhelmed, rushing from one commitment to the next, wondering if we're making any meaningful impact at all. The relentless tide of emails, meetings, and obligations can leave us feeling that time is happening to us rather than being stewarded by us. But what if there was a distinctly Christian approach to productivity that went beyond secular techniques? This approach would begin not with your to-do list but with your identity as a beloved child of God. It would teach you to work from a place of rest rather than for rest. Throughout these pages, you'll discover a path to exceptional productivity that doesn't sacrifice your well-being or spiritual depth, but rather enhances both while helping you fulfill your unique calling in God's kingdom.

Chapter 1: Ground Your Productivity in Gospel Truth

At the heart of Christian productivity lies a revolutionary truth: the gospel frees us from the need to be productive. This paradox—that we're liberated from needing to be productive in order to become truly productive—transforms our relationship with time management from one of anxiety to one of purpose. William Wilberforce, the British parliamentarian who was chiefly responsible for abolishing the slave trade throughout the British Empire, exemplifies this principle beautifully. For his first five years in Parliament, Wilberforce pursued power and wealth with relentless ambition. But at age twenty-six, he surrendered his life to Christ, experiencing what he called the "Great Change." This spiritual transformation didn't lead him to abandon his political career, as some might have expected. Instead, it radically altered his motivation and approach to his work. After his conversion, Wilberforce grieved over how he had "wasted his precious time, opportunities, and talents" during his first twenty-six years. He resolved to "endeavor from this moment to amend my plan for time," striving to live "more than heretofore to God's glory and my fellow-creatures' good." This new perspective fueled practical changes in how he managed his time. He established consistent sleep schedules, carried writing materials at all times to capture ideas, and deliberately sought solitude for prayer and reflection—transforming himself from what his biographer called "an undisciplined mess" into one of history's most effective people. The foundation of effective time management for Christians begins with understanding five biblical truths about time and productivity. First, our longing for timelessness is good and God-given—Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God "has set eternity in the human heart." Second, sin has ensured we will all die with unfinished symphonies, creating a gap between what we imagine accomplishing and what we actually complete. Third, God will finish the work we leave unfinished, as his kingdom continues advancing with or without our participation. Fourth, the gospel is our source of both rest and ambition, freeing us from striving while inspiring our best efforts. Fifth, Jesus himself shows us how God would manage his time, providing a perfect model to follow. To ground your productivity in these gospel truths, begin by spending daily time with the Author of time. This isn't just another item on your to-do list—it's the keystone habit that makes every other time-management practice easier and more effective. Choose a consistent time, select a method that works for you, and make this non-negotiable. Additionally, develop the habit of praying what you know about time, reminding yourself that your value isn't tied to your productivity and that God will accomplish his purposes through you.

Chapter 2: Capture Commitments and Let Your Yes Be Yes

Our minds were not designed to hold countless commitments simultaneously. When we try to keep track of all our obligations internally, we create what psychologists call the "Zeigarnik effect"—the tendency for uncompleted tasks to occupy our mental energy until they're either finished or properly captured in a trusted system. Dr. Roy Baumeister, a leading social psychologist, conducted revealing experiments about this effect. In one study, participants were asked to think about an important project, with one group instructed to write down specific tasks related to that project while another group received no additional instructions. Both groups then attempted to read a novel. The results were striking: those who had written down their tasks were significantly more focused on their reading because they'd cleared their minds through the simple act of recording their commitments. This research confirms what many Christians intuitively understand about Jesus's teaching to "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'" (Matthew 5:37, NKJV). When we fail to track our commitments—whether major projects or small promises to friends—we not only become distracted but also risk breaking our word, undermining our witness as followers of Christ. To address this challenge, you need a Commitment Tracking System (CTS)—a single place to collect and manage all your open loops until they're closed. This system comprises three distinct lists: an Inbox List for initially capturing commitments, a Projects List for tracking multi-step outcomes, and an Actions List containing next physical steps you can take. Implementing this approach eliminates the anxiety of trying to remember everything, allowing you to be more present and focused on the task at hand. The process begins by extracting commitments from everywhere they currently exist—your email, text messages, scattered notes, and especially your mind. For example, when your boss emails asking for comments on a memo by Friday, you'd capture "Jill memo comments by EOW" in your CTS rather than leaving the email marked as unread. Similarly, when your spouse mentions needing to replace a family photo, you'd immediately add that commitment to your system rather than trying to remember it. Once you've collected these commitments, you'll define each one by answering five key questions: Am I still committed to this? What is my actual desired outcome? Will it take more than one action to complete? What's the next action? Can I complete this in less than two minutes? This definition process transforms vague reminders into clear, actionable tasks, dramatically reducing your mental load and making progress inevitable. Maintaining this system requires both daily and weekly rhythms. Each day, process your various inboxes to zero, converting incoming items into well-defined work. Weekly, review your entire system to close completed loops and identify next actions for ongoing projects. With consistent maintenance, you'll develop a reputation as someone whose yes is truly yes—a reflection of Christ's faithfulness to his promises.

Chapter 3: Create Space for Silence in a Noisy World

In our hyperconnected world, perhaps no resource is more endangered than silence. The constant stream of information, entertainment, and social media creates not just external noise but internal chaos that compromises our ability to think clearly, create meaningfully, and listen attentively to God's voice. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. understood the vital importance of silence amidst the tumult of activism. During the height of the civil rights movement in Montgomery, Alabama, King found himself overwhelmed by constant phone calls and visitors. As he wrote in his autobiography, "From early morning to late night my telephone rang and my doorbell was seldom silent." Recognizing the danger this posed, King made a dramatic decision to move his family to Atlanta where he could find the quiet he needed "to meditate and think through the total struggle ahead." He reflected, "I knew that I could not continue to live with such a tension-filled schedule....My failure to reflect would do harm not only to me as a person, but to the total movement." Like King, we all need periods of silence and solitude to redeem our time effectively. Noise limits our ability to think clearly, stifling our capacity to discern the essential from the trivial. It constrains our creativity, which often emerges from boredom and quiet reflection. Noise prevents the deep focus required for meaningful work and genuine presence with loved ones. Perhaps most critically for Christians, constant noise makes us "deaf to the voice of God, drowning out the one input we most need," as pastor John Mark Comer observes. Jesus himself demonstrated the value of silence throughout his ministry. In Luke's gospel alone, we find him withdrawing to "lonely places" three times in just one and a half chapters. Matthew 14:13 tells us "he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place" to escape the crowds. And notably, "the news about him spread all the more, so Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" (Luke 5:15-16). The busier Jesus became, the more he sought silence. To create your own space for silence, start by letting your friends curate information for you. Rather than trying to keep up with every news story and social media trend, trust that truly important information will reach you through your network. Stop swimming in what technology experts call "infinity pools"—apps and websites designed for endless scrolling—and choose more filtered content like books, which have multiple gatekeepers ensuring quality. Consider renouncing social media entirely or attaining independence from it by confining usage to specific times and devices. Once you've reduced external noise, embrace practices that cultivate internal silence. Get comfortable with the crevices of your day—those small moments between activities—by resisting the urge to fill them with your phone. Take walks without audio input, allowing your mind to wander and make connections. Write to think, using journaling to clarify your thoughts. And finally, put the quiet back in quiet time by allowing moments of silence after Scripture reading to meditate on what you've read and listen for God's voice.

Chapter 4: Prioritize What Matters Most and Eliminate the Rest

In a world of unlimited options but limited time, the ability to discern and focus on what truly matters is essential. Without clear priorities, we find ourselves reactive rather than proactive, constantly responding to the latest emergency rather than pursuing our most important goals. Tamika Catchings, one of the greatest basketball players in WNBA history, demonstrates the power of clear priorities. As a seventh-grader, Catchings identified her audacious goal: "One day I'll be in the NBA." This wasn't a fleeting dream but a commitment that shaped every decision about how she spent her time. "Basketball became another kind of homework," she recounts. "If I wasn't at an official team practice...I was outside shooting hoops. That was my routine. Every day." Years later, when the WNBA was formed, Catchings refined her goal and ultimately achieved an extraordinary career—ten WNBA All-Star Games, four Olympic gold medals, and more playoff appearances than any other player. Her success stemmed from having an unwavering priority that made decisions about her time straightforward. As she explains, the key is "to excel in the thing God wants you to do and made you to do." Jesus modeled this same purposeful approach to priorities. In Mark 1:29-38, after healing Peter's mother-in-law and many others, the town wanted more of his time. But Jesus refused, saying, "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." With perfect clarity about his mission, Jesus could discern what deserved his attention and what didn't. To prioritize effectively, think of your productivity as a five-story building. The top floor represents your mission—glorifying God through good works. The fourth floor contains your callings—the specific roles you've chosen to fulfill that mission. The third floor houses your long-term goals for each calling. The second floor outlines your quarterly goals that move you toward those long-term aspirations. And the first floor contains your projects and actions—the items on your to-do list that help accomplish those quarterly goals. Begin by accepting that your mission is to glorify God—this isn't something you choose but something you discover as a Christian. Then select your callings—the specific roles through which you'll fulfill this mission. For most people, these include both familial roles (spouse, parent) and vocational ones. Next, set "Big Hairy Audacious Goals" (BHAGs) for each calling—epic objectives that inspire and challenge you. Make these goals ambitious, remembering that "God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20). From these long-term goals, develop quarterly objectives with measurable key results (OKRs). For example, if your BHAG is to be promoted to chief creative officer by age thirty-five, a quarterly objective might be "Gain management experience needed to move closer to being CCO," with key results like "Convince my boss to allow me to hire one direct report" and "Complete an online course on managing creative talent." Finally, refine your projects and actions lists to visually highlight the items that support your quarterly goals. Just as important, lock your "posteriorities"—the things you're deliberately choosing not to focus on this quarter—in the basement of your productivity system. Investor Warren Buffett calls these your "Avoid-At-All-Cost list." By keeping these items out of sight, you'll maintain focus on what truly matters.

Chapter 5: Embrace Deep Work and Reject Multitasking

In the early decades of his career, renowned author C.S. Lewis struggled with productivity despite his obvious genius. The reason? Mrs. Moore—his deceased friend's mother with whom he lived—constantly interrupted his work with urgent but trivial requests. Lewis's biographer recounts how he "would be writing or studying in his room when he would suddenly hear a terrible crash from somewhere downstairs" followed by Mrs. Moore's summons for help, only to discover minor issues that could have waited. After Mrs. Moore moved to a nursing home, Lewis's productivity exploded. In just six years, he published ten books, including his most enduring works: Mere Christianity and all seven volumes of the Chronicles of Narnia. What changed? Lewis finally had uninterrupted time for what modern productivity experts call "deep work"—professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push cognitive capabilities to their limit. The ability to focus intensely on one important task at a time is increasingly valuable precisely because it's increasingly rare. According to researchers at the University of London, distractions negatively impact our intelligence twice as much as marijuana does. This happens because of "attention residue"—when we switch between tasks, part of our attention remains stuck on the previous activity, reducing our effectiveness on the current one. For example, checking email briefly while writing a report doesn't just cost the time spent on email; it diminishes your ability to think clearly about the report even after returning to it. Jesus himself modeled deep focus throughout his ministry. In Matthew 12:46-50, while teaching a crowd, Jesus was told his mother and brothers were outside wanting to speak with him. Rather than interrupting his work, Jesus continued teaching, recognizing that in that moment, his calling was to focus fully on the task at hand. Conversely, when spending time with his disciples, he was fully present with them. In Mark 9:30-31, he deliberately withdrew with the Twelve to focus exclusively on teaching them, away from the crowds. To embrace deep work in your life, start by taking control of when you check messages. Instead of responding immediately to every email, text, and notification, establish specific times during the day to process these communications. Create a list of VIPs who can reach you in case of emergencies, and let everyone else know your new communication pattern. Next, eliminate external distractions during focused work by closing email applications, silencing your phone, disabling notifications, and creating a distraction-free physical environment. Schedule deep-work appointments with yourself—ideally ninety-minute blocks when your energy is highest, which for most people is in the morning. Remember that focus is like a muscle that fatigues with use; most research suggests we can do only about four hours of truly deep work in a day. Balance these focused sessions with time for shallow work and serendipitous interactions. The second half of your day is often best for meetings, administrative tasks, and the kind of spontaneous conversations that can spark creativity. This pattern of depth applies not just to work but also to home life. When with your family, be fully present by physically putting away your devices. The ability to focus singularly—what we might call embracing your "unipresence" in contrast to God's omnipresence—is how you honor both your work and your relationships with excellence.

Chapter 6: Rest Strategically to Maximize Your Productivity

When her business hit a growth plateau, Shay Cochrane, founder of Social Squares, had identified numerous problems but couldn't see a unified solution. Then one night, something remarkable happened. "I woke up around 3:00 a.m. with my head running a hundred miles an hour, as if I had been somehow already working on the solution to all of these problems while I slept," she recalls. She quickly wrote down the comprehensive strategy that had mysteriously formed in her mind. When implemented, this middle-of-the-night insight increased her company's growth rate by 700 percent. Far from being a miraculous anomaly, Cochrane's experience reflects a counterintuitive truth about productivity: strategic rest is essential for exceptional performance. Our culture glorifies hustle and celebrates those who "burn the midnight oil," but science increasingly confirms what God's design has always included—rhythms of work and rest that enhance rather than diminish our effectiveness. These rhythms appear in three key cycles. First, God designed our brains to pulse in ultradian cycles throughout the day, requiring brief breaks approximately every ninety minutes to maintain optimal cognitive function. Leonardo da Vinci recognized this centuries ago, noting that "to remain constantly at work will diminish your judgment." When we ignore these natural cycles and push through fatigue, our work quality suffers dramatically. Second, nightly sleep proves essential for peak performance. Dr. Matthew Walker, a leading sleep researcher, found that sleeping less than seven hours not only compromises our immune system but also severely impairs our productivity. Sleep enables our brains to consolidate learning, solve creative problems, and make connections that elude our waking minds. That's why Paul McCartney composed "Let It Be" and "Yesterday" in his sleep, and why Google co-founder Larry Page conceived his search engine algorithm during a dream. Third, weekly Sabbath rest provides the ultimate productivity paradox. Chick-fil-A demonstrated this by generating more revenue in six days than competitors did in seven, becoming highly sought-after mall tenants despite their Sunday closures. Even more remarkably, Seventh-Day Adventists, who strictly observe Sabbath, live an average of ten years longer than other Americans—roughly equivalent to the cumulative time spent observing weekly Sabbath throughout a lifetime. Jesus himself embraced all three of these rhythms, regularly withdrawing from crowds to rest (Mark 6:30-32), protecting his sleep even during storms (4:38-39), and affirming the goodness of Sabbath while correcting legalistic misinterpretations (2:27). By following his example, we can transform rest from a guilty indulgence into a strategic advantage. To implement these rhythms in your life, start by scheduling fifteen-to-thirty-minute breaks every ninety minutes during your workday. If you work primarily with your mind, rest with your hands—washing dishes, folding laundry, or taking a walk. If you work with your hands, rest with your mind—reading, solving puzzles, or simply sitting quietly. Next, create an eight-hour sleep opportunity every night by establishing a consistent bedtime, stopping all productive work at least an hour before sleep, avoiding caffeine and alcohol in the evenings, and making your bedroom as dark and cool as possible. Finally, develop a weekly practice of Sabbath—a full day to cease from productivity and feast on God's goodness. This begins with Saturday preparation: planning Sunday activities, picking up the house, completing laundry, and generally eliminating potential distractions. When Sabbath begins, light a candle or create another visual marker of transition, then focus on enjoying rather than producing. For your family, this might include special meals, unhurried conversation, or outdoor activities—whatever helps you delight in God, his creation, and the people he's placed in your life.

Chapter 7: Build Margin and Eliminate Hurry from Your Life

Fred Rogers—better known as Mister Rogers—lived an extraordinarily productive life. Over thirty-one seasons of his television program, he personally wrote nine hundred scripts, two hundred songs, and thirteen operas, while also starring in, producing, directing, and performing much of the music. Yet despite this prodigious output, everyone who met Rogers reported the same experience: in his presence, everything slowed down. His staff even had a name for this phenomenon—they called it "Fred-time." This paradoxical combination of high productivity without hurry exemplifies the Christian approach to time management. Throughout the gospel of Mark, we see Jesus maintaining a similar pace—busy but unhurried. The word "immediately" appears forty times in Mark's gospel, indicating that Jesus's ministry was constantly active. Yet as pastor Kevin DeYoung notes, Jesus was "busy, but never in a way that made him frantic, anxious, irritable, proud, envious, or distracted by lesser things." Understanding the distinction between busyness and hurry is crucial. As author John Ortberg explains, "Being busy is an outward condition, a condition of the body. It occurs when we have many things to do." Hurry, by contrast, is "an inner condition, a condition of the soul" that leaves us "unable to be fully present with God, with ourselves, and with other people." Busyness is inevitable in our culture; hurry is optional. Jesus modeled this distinction in Mark 11:11, when he entered Jerusalem and "looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve." The next day, he returned to cleanse the temple. Jesus could have squeezed in this important action before nightfall, but he chose not to, refusing to rush even his most significant work. He had "counted the cost" of his time and knew that adding anything else would tip the scales from busy to hurried. To eliminate hurry while embracing productive busyness, you need a Time Budget—a plan for how you'll spend each day. Just as financial advisors recommend that "every dollar must have a name" in your budget, every minute should have a purpose in your day. This doesn't mean scheduling bathroom breaks, but it does mean proactively planning when you'll engage in deep work, shallow tasks, breaks, and other key activities. Begin by creating a template for your ideal workday. First, budget time for Scripture reading and prayer—the cornerstone of Christian productivity. Next, decide your overall working hours, establishing firm boundaries for when your workday begins and ends. Then fill in your morning and evening routines, including commute time, family responsibilities, and preparation for sleep. Within your working hours, schedule blocks for deep work (preferably early when your energy is highest), regular breaks following the ninety-minute ultradian rhythm, specific times to check messages, and periods for shallow work and serendipitous interactions. Each day, adapt this template during a fifteen-minute daily review. First, pray for wisdom. Second, adjust your template around fixed commitments like meetings with others. Third, assign specific projects to your blocks of focused time based on their importance and urgency. Finally, check that you've maintained adequate margin between activities to eliminate rushing. The final key to building margin is developing a unique approach to saying no. Unlike secular advice that suggests saying no to anything that doesn't excite you, Jesus sometimes said yes to interruptions out of compassion (Matthew 14:13-14) while other times protecting his priorities (Luke 4:42-43). When considering requests for your time, ask yourself: Am I the best person to help? Is this the most generous use of my time? Would I say yes to a hundred similar requests? Do I have room in my Time Budget? When you must decline, do so generously by following a three-part formula: encourage the person making the request, clearly decline without leaving false hope, and offer an alternative way to help that requires less time. For example, you might write: "Welcome to the neighborhood! Unfortunately, my schedule is fully committed, so I will not be able to meet for coffee. That said, if you have specific questions about employers in the area, I'd be happy to answer them via email!"

Summary

Exceptional productivity isn't about cramming more activities into your day—it's about aligning your time with God's purposes and embracing his design for work and rest. Throughout these principles, we've seen how the gospel transforms our relationship with time, freeing us from the need to be productive while inspiring our best efforts. As William Wilberforce discovered, our productivity flows not from striving for acceptance but from the joy of being already accepted in Christ. The journey toward redeeming your time begins with a single step: choose one principle from this guide and implement it this week. Perhaps start with creating space for silence, establishing a Commitment Tracking System, or scheduling your first deep-work appointment. Remember that discipline is a gift, not a burden, when it flows from gospel truth. In the words of Dallas Willard, "You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life"—not to achieve more, but to love God and others more fully through the ministry of your presence and your work.

About Author

Loading...

Jordan Raynor

Jordan Raynor is a leading voice of the faith and work movement. Through his bestselling books (The Creator in You, Redeeming Your Time, Master of One, and Called to Create), the Mere Christians podcast, and his weekly devotionals, Jordan has helped millions of Christians in every country on earth connect the gospel to their work. In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the Executive Chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup which Jordan previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his own. Jordan has twice been selected as a Google Fellow and served in The White House under President George W. Bush. A sixth-generation Floridian, Jordan lives in Tampa with his wife and their three young daughters. The Raynors are proud members of The Church at Odessa.

Read more