We are all given 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to accomplish God’s will. I often find that people who get burned out in ministry often do so because of time management. There are times when people have taken on too many ministry assignments, but I’ve found that to be the exception rather then the rule. I find ministry burnout is often a result of an over busy life. Here is a prescription for ministry burnout:

Redeem the time Ephesians 5:15ff
A key aspect to spiritual maturity is how one uses their! To be godly is to be wise and to be wise is to be godly. God gives us each the same amount of time. It takes discernment to utilize our time. It takes wisdom to live a simple life.

Learn to rest Psalm 46
A key aspect to utilizing our time is to wait upon God. We too often think that business is a mark or spirituality. Sometimes the most spiritual thing to do is rest. Remember, God is God and we’re not! The danger of not taking the time to rest and just plain ‘ol stop is we forget God. Busyness is the vaccine against relational intimacy!

Learn who you are Psalm 139
Let me be frank, you cannot do anything you want. God wired and artistically designed you as a unique creation that brings Him glory. He’s given you a combination of gifts, passions, abilities and experience unlike any other. Pursuing and understanding how God designed you is key to utilizing your time. Take time to name your purpose and values in life. They help guide in saying yes or no to things.

Start walking Ephesians 2:10
God has a plan for you life. The only way to discover it is to pick a direction and to start following it! You can’t steer a still ship. Trust in the fact that God has a plan and pursue something. God has a way of showing up and guiding you in the adventure called life. Remember, salvation is secured on the cross. Sometimes we think in making decisions about our time we may make the wrong one. Relax, make a decision and pursue it. Even our mistakes God uses to shape us into the image of His son.

Helpful resources:
Here are a couple of resources I found very helpful in navigating how to redeem the time. I’m sure there are others and what works for me may not work for you, but it’s a start.

http://www.thinktq.com/
http://www.franklincovey.com/tc/resources
http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/en-US/Home/home.htm