Making Time Count: Wise Stewardship & The Eisenhower Matrix
We live in a world of endless demands. Emails never stop. Meetings multiply. Church programmes, community events, and family responsibilities all compete for our time. But how do we know what really deserves our attention?
The Bible speaks directly into this. In Ephesians 5:15–16, Paul urges:
“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.”
Jesus himself modelled this. Crowds pressed in on him, but he didn’t allow every demand to dictate his schedule. Sometimes he withdrew to pray. Sometimes he moved on to the next village. Sometimes he invested deeply in a small group of disciples rather than the many. He knew what was urgent — and never lost sight of what was truly important.
That same wisdom is desperately needed today — in churches, in workplaces, and in our personal lives.
The Eisenhower Matrix: A Simple Tool for Prioritising
President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said: “What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important.”
From that principle comes the Eisenhower Matrix, a simple but powerful way of thinking about priorities. It divides tasks into four categories:
Urgent + Important → Do Now Critical issues, deadlines, emergencies. The time-sensitive things only you can do. Church example: Preparing to preach/teach. Safeguarding concerns or funeral arrangements. Professional example: Client crisis, project deadline.
Important but Not Urgent → Schedule / Invest The strategic, long-term priorities that often get pushed aside. Church example: Leadership development, discipleship pathways, community listening. Professional example: Staff training, strategic planning, building relationships.
Urgent but Not Important → Delegate / Simplify Tasks that demand attention but don’t need your attention. Church example: Hall bookings, routine admin. Professional example: Scheduling, travel booking, admin requests.
Neither Urgent nor Important → Eliminate (Stop) Activities that consume time without adding value. Church example: Legacy programmes kept alive only by habit. Professional example: Meetings with no purpose, low-value busywork.
Why This Matters for All of Us
Whether you’re a pastor, a business leader, or managing your household:
Living in the “Urgent” box leads to stress, firefighting, and exhaustion.
Living in the “Not Urgent but Important” box leads to growth, impact, and health.
The Eisenhower Matrix gives us a framework to stop confusing busyness with fruitfulness.
And for those of us in church leadership, this connects with our Biblical call to steward resources wisely. We are not asked to do everything. We are asked to be faithful with what God has entrusted to us.
A Challenge
Take ten minutes this week to map your tasks and commitments into the four quadrants. Be honest about what drains energy without fruit.
What will you stop doing?
What can you delegate?
What will you schedule and protect as a priority?
What truly deserves your energy right now?
As leaders, parents, professionals, disciples — we all need to make the most of our limited time.
Final Thought
Wise stewardship isn’t about squeezing more in. It’s about focusing on what matters most.
“Lord, give us wisdom to know what really matters, courage to let go of what distracts, and faith to use our time and energy for Your glory.”
