Psalm 39:4–7 (NLT) — 4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is. 5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” Interlude 6 We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. 7 And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.

Ephesians 5:15–17 (NKJV) — 15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

1. Honor the Sabbath.

• Sabbath:
  • It's a commandment - Exodus 20:8-11
  • It's a witness - Exodus 31:14-17
  • God is serious about it - Numbers 15:32-36
  • Unobserved Sabbaths accumulate - 2 Chronicles 36:20-21
  • God made it for our benefit - Mark 2:27
• God things:
  • Word
  • Prayer
  • Church

2. Get strategic.

• Start by thinking long-term.
  • This affects your pace.
  • This affects your priorities.
  • This affects your plan.
• Become a planner.
• Discover where the value is.
  • Most people spend 20% of their time on the thing from which they get 80% of their fruit. That means that 80% of the things you are doing are producing 20% of the fruit. FOCUS ON ONLY DOING THE 20 THAT IS PRODUCING THE 80.

3. Balance is key.

• Refuse to work too much.
  • Why am I working this much?
  • Money
  • Position
  • Recognition
  • Filling a void
  • At the end of my life, am I going to be happy that I invested my time this way?
• Refuse to work too little.
  • You want provision, but you have provided no service.
  • Television, internet, social media, and games all add little to no value to our lives.

4. When you work, work smart.

• “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” - Mark Twain
• Go one barrel at a time.