I just finished reading Bob Russell’s latest book, After 50 Years of Ministry: 7 Things I’d do Differently, 7 Things I’d do the Same. It was “classic Bob”: honest, direct, scripture-laden, and humorous. In this post we will talk about how to be a better father to your children by setting healthy priorities as a father, husband, and leader.
My only beef with the book: it’ll be viewed too narrowly – as a tool for pastors only. While it has plenty of pastor-specific elements, it’s a superb resource for anyone seeking to lead effectively. I highly recommend it.
Keeping the main thing the main thing
One of the things Bob said he got right was carving out adequate time every week for sermon preparation. I agree! Speaking as an audience member, I can say his prep time paid off. Every weekend, he delivered solid and inspired teaching. I’m grateful he made it such a high priority.
He said, “It’s my observation that more guys fail in ministry due to a lack of discipline of time than because of a lack of talent.”
That statement made me think about my own work life: how I manage my time in the father & son Bible study ministry I lead. But, beyond that, it made me wonder:
- Do I have the right priorities as a husband?
- Where do I spend most of my time as a father of five boys?
- How do I pick where I allocate my volunteer time?
I enjoy the music from the band 21 Pilots. One of their songs features this line, “Death inspires me like a dog inspires a rabbit.” What a great line! It’s so applicable for me.
Time management haunts me
For me – how I manage my time “inspires” me. It both haunts and thrills me. I often wonder if I’m working on the right things, at the right time, during the right portion of the day. It’s a constant tweaking process for me. Admittedly, some days, I let it eat at me too much.
Ask your key stakeholders about your priorities as a father, husband, and leader.
I think as you’re learning how to be a better father to your children and husband to your wife, you can set solid time management priorities by asking some key stakeholders in our lives a few questions:
- Pray & ask God: “What do you want me to focus my time on this week?”
- For your wife: “Where could I spend more (or less) time to strengthen our marriage?”
- Ask your kids: “How could I spend time that would bless you and grow our relationship?”
- A question for your boss (or Board): “What initiatives am I spending too much or too little time on?”
- Ask your pastor: “If I had a spare hour per week to invest in our church, how might you want me to spend it?
One reason Bob could be so intentional in his time allocation was that he knew his calling. He could easily separate the significant from the secondary. If you’re a husband, a father, and a worker – it’s important that you know that as well as he did and that your schedule reflects that reality.
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