Do you struggle with stewardship of time? Namely, do you feel like there just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to do all of the things that you want to accomplish? As busy moms, it can feel like you are constantly pulled in a million different directions. How are you supposed to steward your time well with all of these obligations?
Time is one of the most precious resources that we have. As a working Christian mom, we all need to be aware of how important it is to manage our time well. It’s easy to let time slip away from us without even realizing it.
God has given us this gift of time and He expects us to use it wisely so that we may glorify Him. The Bible contains many verses about time management and productivity to help guide us in stewarding our time. This post will share 15 of my favorite bible verses about time stewardship!
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What is stewardship of time
So what does stewarding your time well actually mean? Webster’s dictionary defines stewardship as:
‘The careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.’
Stewardship of time means the act of carefully managing your time, which is a gift that God has given you. It means making proactive choices about how you choose to spend your hours each day. It’s about being intentional about the tasks you choose to complete and the way you choose to use that time.
This can include being purposeful about the goals you choose to pursue and making meaningful choices about the plans you make!
The bottom line is that we should always be asking ourselves, “How can I use my time to glorify God?”
Although we’re not expected to manage and control every minute of our lives (after all, this would take away from true peace and joy), we should always be looking for ways that we can better steward the time that we have.
Bible verses about time stewardship
So what does the bible say about stewarding your time well? How can we use the truth of the scriptures to be more intentional about our time? The following bible verses about stewarding your time well will guide you as you look to glorify God with your time!
Psalm 90:12
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
This scripture about stewarding your time encourages us to put things into perspective. It helps us to consider the brevity of life and encourages us to use our time wisely. It asks us to be purposeful about how we spend each hour, for they are surely numbered!
Colossians 4:5
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
Again this is a bible verse that entreats us to use the time we have to the best of our ability. This means being conscious of the distractions that keep us from walking in purpose, as well as making sure that we are removing those distractions as they come.
Ephesians 5:15-16
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
This time stewardship bible verse reminds us to use wisdom when we are planning our days and going about our daily to do lists. Distractions can be innocent, but they can also bring forth an idleness that leads to temptation. And that could be obvious temptation, or the temptation to covet what others have.
Luke 16:10
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.
As stated before, stewardship means being purposeful about the time you have to complete tasks. This scripture shows how important it is for us to remain faithful to our goals, even if things are slow at first! Just as the verse says, one who is faithful in a very little can be trusted with much.
Practically this looks like having clear priorities for your down time. I would also add that prioritizing your down time does not mean that you are busy and striving consistently, on the contrary, setting priorities also extends to your time in rest as well.
James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Time stewardship is one of the things many busy people struggle with, but this verses on stewarding your time reminds us that when we are lacking in wisdom, we can go to God! He holds the answers to every question we may have, so when you are struggling with something (no matter how small you may believe it to be) the wisdom is present with your Father in heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven
I love this time stewardship scripture because it reminds me that there is time for everything! This verse tells us that there is a place for everything which helps to relieve some of the pressure that we may feel regarding getting through your to do list.
Proverbs 21:5
The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
If you have every felt the weight of procrastination and the stress that comes from trying to get something done at the last minute, then this verse should be seen as a warning, but also an encouragement.
Many of us find ourselves on the later end of the verse, hastily going through the motions, trying to get tasks done in a less than adequate amount of time.
The encouragement comes when reading the first part of the verse “the plans of the diligent leads surely to abundance.” This is also a promise. When you are diligent, there will be abundance! And that abundance can come in the mindset of things, but I like to think of it in the resource that we are talking about, and that’s time.
2 Corinthians 6:2
For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
This scripture on time management brings to mind the saying “there’s no time like the present.” It inspires us to not put off for tomorrow what we can do today, God is with us right now, and with that is the power that comes from being a child of the most high!
Luke 14:28
For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?
This bible verse about time management reminds us that in order to manage our time well, we have to plan for it. We have to have an idea of how to use our time well and create routines that are equally productive and restful.
Proverbs 16:9
A person plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.
In addition to the verse before, this verse adds a caveat, that while we plan our time out, we also must commit and submit those plans to the Lord and his sovereignty.
This last group of scriptures are about being productive with the time you have. Stewarding your time well means making faithful steps forward in the plans that God made for you. Being productive isn’t just a culmination of the things that you get marked off of your to do list, but is also about making sure that those steps are purposeful and meaningful.
Colossians 1:10
So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
This verse reminds us that in order to fully please God, we have to be productive! Productivity is a good work. Productivity brings fruit and the increase of knowledge of God.
John 17:4
I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
Again, this bible verse about productivity is a word of praise to God. It also serves as a reminder to us to make sure that the work we are doing is done to glorify God. The world glorifies weariness and striving, our goals in being productive is to live in such a way that we glorify the Lord.
1 Corinthians 16:2
On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
While this bible verse about productivity may not be initially obvious, it does speak to how we should consider using our time. This ultimately drives us back to stewarding our time well. We should be doing it with the intent of following the rhythm of working and resting that God created us for.
Instead of simply checking off tasks, we should be working in such a way that we work well but also prioritize intentional time to be with God!
Also Read: 21 Encouraging Bible Verses about Time Management
John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
What is busyness and striving but a chance for the enemy to steal that which God gives us. When we are task-oriented we can easily get sidetracked by the pulls of the world and begin idolizing what can be achieved by doing.
God calls us to a different way. He calls us to abundant life, but only in him!
Proverbs 14:23
In all hard work there is profit, but merely talking about it only brings poverty.
This productivity bible verse reminds us to be intentional about our actions. To work hard, by making our actions purposeful.
How to Steward your time well
Now that we have a better understanding of the bible verses about time management that can encourage us to steward our time well, what are some practical ways to steward our time well?
Here are some tips for how to manage your time more productively and efficiently.
Plan by the month, week and day
Planning should be something that is done in increments. Stewarding your time well requires that you know what big goals you have and then break them up into management smaller steps. This will look like planning out your months, weeks, and days accordingly.
This ensures that you are not caught off guard by impending deadlines, but also that you supply enough time to do tasks with excellence without the stress of last minute procrastination.
Looking for more tips on time management? Check out all of our productivity resources
Pray through your plans
Submitting your plans to God is another way to steward your time well. The scriptures tell us that we can plan and it is wise to plan, but it is the plans that are subject to Gods pruning and prodding that succeed.
After you have submitted your plans to God, you should check in with him throughout the day and ask for his help. He promises that he will direct our steps and give us times of rest (peace).
Be vision minded
What is your purpose? What are you on this Earth for? All of us are subject to the great commission, but what does that look like in your life? Being vision minded can help you focus on the things that matter and allows your yes to tasks, plans, and projects to be easy.
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Have clear boundaries
In same breath, being vision minded and focused helps you to set clear boundaries which is another way to help you steward your time well. When you know what you are saying yes to, then your no becomes easy.
When you are sure of the things God has called you to, saying no to the things that he has not called you to is simple.
Also Read: Boundaries in the Bible: 5 Bible Verses on the Importance of Setting Boundaries
Prioritize Rest
The last way to steward your time well practically is to prioritize rest. Now this may seem countercultural, and sort of opposite of what it means to be productive, but hear me out!
We were created for a rhythm of working and resting. You were created for the good works that God called you to, but also for intentional quiet tranquility at his feet.
Also Read: 20 Uplifting Bible Verses about Rest +5 Simple Rest techniques!
Manage the Blessing of time well
Stewarding your time can feel hard to do when you are a busy working mom. It’s not enough just to work and provide for your family, stewarding our time involves managing our time and being purposeful about the tasks we take on. We want to make sure that what we spend our valuable hours doing is in line with God’s priorities too!
The bible encourages us to ‘do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.’ (Philippians 2:3) That means thinking more about spending quality time with him instead of always running around trying to get things done for Him.
In my experience with working moms who are trying to find balance in their lives, one thing has been shown again and again-stewarding your time well will help you cultivate a lifestyle that is productive and calm.
That doesn’t mean being perfect or doing everything at once but instead going about things purposefully and strategically. That’s why I wrote my book Finding Time.
This book contains biblical principles on stewardship of time along with practical tips that any busy mother can use! Get this book today and start living more intentional every day by taking better care of yourself!
Thank you for sharing this profound article! God bless your ministry work for His cause!
SDA Hymnal