The sport industry is unlike any other when it comes to working long hours and managing a busy schedule. For many Christians working in sports, the demands of the industry cause struggles with time management, which leads to a failure to prioritize their faith. While it can feel like there is no time in the schedule to study the Bible, pray, attend church regularly, or commit to a small group, these activities are crucial to the life of any Christian.
In this blog, we’ll share five time management tips that will help Christians working in sports continue to make their walk with Christ a central priority, despite the demands that come with a career in this fast-paced industry.
Build a Routine
Humans are creatures of habit. We love a good routine. If we build something into our daily routine, it more than likely will become a consistent habit in our lives. Most of us have already established routines in our lives in which we choose to prioritize certain activities.
To consistently prioritize spending time with the Lord daily, it has to become a part of our routine. Research indicates that after establishing a routine, individuals are likely to stick with it long-term. In fact, about 80 percent of people who build a new habit will stick with it for at least six months.
This is why fitting daily time with the Lord into your routine is crucial. Once it gets into your routine, it will stick in your routine. Whether you are a morning person or an evening person, set aside time during your day to study the Word of God, pray, engage with community, and do other activities that help draw you closer to the Lord.
Set Clear Priorities
Rick Warren states in his book, The Purpose Driven Life, “Your priorities are a reflection of your values. The more you value something, the more time you will invest in it.” What becomes a priority in someone's life becomes a determining factor in what they value. This truth should be a sobering reminder for Christians working in sports of the importance of setting clear priorities, to ensure that nothing supersedes Christ.
In the life of every Christian, following Christ must be the number one priority. Jesus states in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” While delivering His sermon on the mount, Jesus stated to those in attendance that they should not worry about their basic needs, such as food and clothing. Rather, their priority should be things relating to God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Jesus was not teaching those in attendance to forego their responsibilities but to ensure that they set clear priorities in their lives.
The busy nature of the sport industry makes it difficult to prioritize a daily walk with Christ, but it does not make it impossible. As a sport industry professional, it is crucial to set clear priorities to make God’s kingdom and His righteousness the highest priority.
Create a Weekly Schedule
Similar to building routines, creating a weekly schedule can be a helpful tool in managing time and keeping Christ at the center each week. Planning ahead helps to set priorities before the busyness of the week begins.
In doing this, Christians in sports will have already set boundaries around their time, allowing breathing room for daily time with the Lord and engaging with church community.
A few specific tips when it comes to building a weekly schedule include using an electronic calendar with reminders, being flexible, setting time blocks aside for important activities (ex. small group Bible study), setting goals for the week, and making time to review the calendar to make sure nothing is forgotten.
Embrace Sabbath Rest
Sabbath is an important rhythm in the life of any Christian. In the new covenant, Sabbath is no longer a command but it is a grace that is provided by the Lord to believers to provide time to step away from the busyness of life and to commune with him.
Jesus clarifies the purpose of Sabbath in Mark 2:27, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” God in His wisdom created the Sabbath rest because He knew that man required periods of rest. Therefore, though the Sabbath is not commanded in the New Covenant, it is still an important part of Christian life.
For Christians working in sports, it can seem impossible to set aside an entire day to Sabbath with the Lord. It is important to note that Sabbath does not need to be an entire day and it doesn’t need to be on Sunday. It is the action of Sabbath that matters more than the date or the length of the Sabbath. If it is not feasible to set aside an entire day, then a morning, afternoon, or evening would be sufficient to embrace Sabbath rest.
Christians working in sports should make it a priority to embrace Sabbath rest amidst navigating the busy lifestyle of the industry.
Stay Accountable
Accountability is essential to success in making the Lord a daily priority amidst a busy sport industry schedule. Pastor David Platt stated, “Without accountability, there is no genuine discipleship.” For any Christian to have success in the daily pursuit of Christ accountability is essential.
Seeking accountability can be a challenge for many Christians working in sports.
Often the biggest barrier to accountability is the fear of asking for help. The first step in finding accountability is asking a trusted brother or sister in Christ to be that accountability partner.
Another challenge that Christians working in sports face when it comes to finding accountability is making time to be held accountable. Accountability partners are useless if there is no margin to be held accountable.
As a Christian working in sports, it is essential to make time for accountability. If accountability is woven into the busy lives of Christians in sports, consistency in a daily walk with Christ will inevitably grow.
Conclusion
As Pastor Rick Warren stated, “Your priorities are a reflection of your values. The more you value something, the more time you will invest in it.” For Christians working in sports, a daily walk with Christ through making time to study His Word, commune with Him in prayer, engage with community, and other activities should be the highest priority.
Time management amidst the busyness of a career in sports can be a difficult hurdle to overcome. However, it is worth fighting to make your walk with Christ a daily commitment no matter how busy a career in sports can get.
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