Redeeming Your Time

The reason for our struggle is that productivity and time-management systems focus on individual habits rather than more meaningful and lasting lifestyle changes. But as it turns out, there is a better way to reach our full potential. We don’t need just another approach to changing our habits. What we need is an operating system that takes into account the full scope of our lives. Raynor presents this system, using seven powerful time-management principles drawn from the example of how Jesus lived. With these principles, you’ll see how Jesus managed His time on earth and how He responded to human constraints much like the ones we face today. More than that, you’ll discover corresponding practices that will help you embrace the best, most Christ-like version of yourself possible: purposeful, present, and wildly productive.

  1. Start with the Word: Find meaningful connection with the author of time daily.
  2. Let Your Yes Be Yes: Accept only the commitments you can fulfill.
  3. Dissent from the Kingdom of Noise: Create room for silence, stillness, and reflection.
  4. Prioritize Your Yeses: Confidently maintain your commitments.
  5. Accept Your “Unipresence”: Focus on one important thing at a time.
  6. Embrace Productive Rest: Live the God-designed rhythms of rest which are productive for our goals and souls.
  7. Eliminate All Hurry: Embrace productive busyness while ruthlessly eliminating hurry from our lives.

This book's Disciple Making Purpose

This book is super-helpful as disciples learn to balance their lives (work, home, play) with God’s invitations to join Him in His work. The calls to join God in His work take time and require a resetting of priorities and blocking our time to make sure that everything gets done without burning out. As disciples begin to make disciples (gap year between Years Two and Three) or move into residency (Step 10) they face the “10-11 Burnout” challenge as they work through this balance. We use this book to give disciples practical ideas, practices, and productivity hacks from a Biblical perspective as they enter this new part of their journey to spiritual maturity. It is helpful and prophylactic.  We use it ahead of time in the Year Two Expanded Reading plan (Step 9) or towards the beginning of the Year Three Essential Reading plan (Steps 9 and 10).

Key Topics or Truths

Time Management
Balancing Priorities
Setting Priorities
Productivity

This Book is Good For...

All disciples as a first pass at time and productivity management, a Biblical reframing of principles known, or just a good refreshing bump to check those priorities and schedules.

How We Use this Book to Make Disciples

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We use this book to help disciples navigate the “10-11 Burnout” challenge that most of them face as they begin making disciples or going into residency. Both of these activities require 3-4 hours a week of invested time and disciples struggle to fit that time into their existing schedules. Much like money, without a disciplined plan we consume all the time we are given often not leaving space for rest and definitely something will have to give to add 3-4 hours of work. And that is the crux, accepting God’s invitation to work where he is working is work. The increased commitments of disciple making and residency are no longer volunteer (on my schedule, when it fits) service. This book provides a Biblically-focused operating system for time management and productivity. Raynor provides seven productivity practices,

  1. Start with the Word: Find meaningful connection with the Author-of-Time daily.
  2. Let Your Yes Be Yes: Accept only the commitments you can fulfill.
  3. Dissent from the Kingdom of Noise: Create room for silence, stillness, and reflection.
  4. Prioritize Your Yeses: Confidently maintain your commitments.
  5. Accept Your “Unipresence”: Focus on one important thing at a time.
  6. Embrace Productive Rest: Live the God-designed rhythms of rest which are productive for our goals and souls.
  7. Eliminate All Hurry: Embrace productive busyness while ruthlessly eliminating hurry from our lives.

We break the reading of the book portion into four sections. The disciples read the assignment before each week’s review. Here is our reading plan and some sample starter questions,

Week 1 – Why Redeem the Time?
Read: Introduction, Principle 1 (Start with the Word), and Principle 2 (Let Your Yes Be Yes)
Focus: Building your schedule and commitments on Biblical foundations; aligning your time with God’s priorities.

Sample Questions:

  • How does starting with God’s Word change the way you view your calendar?
  • Where have you been saying “yes” to things God may be asking you to say “no” to?

Week 2 – Setting Priorities and Eliminating Hurry
Read: Principle 3 (Dissent from the Kingdom of Noise) and Principle 4 (Prioritize Your Yeses)
Focus: Creating space for reflection, silence, and focus; intentionally choosing what matters most.

Sample Questions:

  • What “noise” is most distracting you from God’s purposes right now?
  • How can you become more intentional in choosing your top priorities?

Week 3 – Planning and Focusing Your Work
Read: Principle 5 (Accept Your Unipresence) and Principle 6 (Embrace Productive Rest)
Focus: Being fully present in one task or relationship at a time; integrating true rest into your week.

Sample Questions:

  • Where do you most often fall into multitasking, and how can you correct it?
  • How does God’s view of rest challenge your current approach to time off?

Week 4 – Finishing Well
Read: Principle 7 (Eliminate All Hurry), Conclusion (Redeem the Time), and Epilogue (The Dark Side of Discipline)
Focus: Developing a sustainable pace; living intentionally so you finish your days and life well.

Sample Questions:

  • What habits or commitments create unnecessary hurry in your life?
  • What specific time-redemption practices will you carry forward from this study?

Our team uses a more specific approach to review doing two important tasks each week:

  1. Making sure the disciple understands and internalizes the truths around each practice using the Socratic method
  2. Calling the disciple to action related to each practice often asking, “So what changes do you need to make?” or “How can this make you even more productive?”

We do not cross-talk and we keep the conversations focused on the individual at hand working around the room.

Real Life Story

Having studied time management, seen all the various concepts, and having searched for tools and solutions, I was absolutely impressed at how Raynor didn’t create something new but rather took solid science and proven practices showing their Biblical basis and giving practical tips. It pushed me to diligently use time blocking and a daily planning tool (despite my hatred for them!). But the best thing, the thing that inspired me and changed everything, was the single line, “Jesus was highly productive but never hurried.” That is the life that I want.

Know Issues or Controversies

Some readers get distracted by the tools and tips towards the end of Chapter 2 where Raynor is pushing the need for a physical tracking system. They feel it interrupts the flow and get lost trying to find a tool. To some extent they are correct but the fact that they stop to figure out a tool is exactly what Raynor is calling them to do. You might want to make that same call to action.

We love this book because it gives proven, practical tactics for time management and productivity that most disciples never learn on the job, in college, or in seminary. And it does it from a Biblical perspective.

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Book Details
Pathway Steps: 9, 10
  • Phase: Year 3
  • Book Type: Non-Fiction
  • Flair: Instructive
  • Tags: Christian Living, Leadership
Reading Time
Four Weeks
Start Reading After Week 2
12 Pages per Day
20 Minutes per Day
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