top of page

The Bible Taught Me How to Manage My Time Better Than Any Self-Help Book

  • 2 days ago
  • 7 min read

You’re still showing up. But are you leading with clarity — or just holding it together? Take 15 minutes to reflect with the Christian Leader® Self-Assessment — a simple tool to help you see what’s really working... and what’s quietly wearing you out. It’s free!




Ryan shares a perspective on time management that reshaped his leadership more than any productivity system or self-help book ever could. Drawing directly from Scripture and personal experience, Ryan explains why most pastors and leaders do not struggle with time because they lack discipline, but because they lack clarity and vision. He walks through how vision drift quietly happens, why busyness is a poor measure of obedience, and how biblical stewardship reframes time as a servant to calling, not an enemy to fight. You will hear how clarifying God-given vision, creating intentional rhythms, and focusing on faithful next steps can restore energy, peace, and direction. This episode is for leaders who feel full, faithful, and yet quietly scattered, and are ready for alignment instead of overload.





Purchase Christian Leader Sight Planner (a tool that has drastically changed Ryan’s productivity): 

Black Cover – https://amzn.to/3JpBHvm 

Blue Cover – https://amzn.to/4ouFRB9 

Green Cover – https://amzn.to/4oXVLUr


Purchase The Christian Leader Blueprint book today: 


Connect with Ryan: 



Audio mastering by Apostolic Audio: 





Transcript


And Scripture says where there is no vision, the people perish. Right? Leaders without clarity may not perish publicly, but what happens is that they often feel like they're perishing internally.


Welcome to the Christian Leader Made Simple podcast. I'm your host Ryan Franklin, and I've been in pastoral leadership at the Pentecostals of Alexandria for over 20 years. I'm also an executive coach helping Christian leaders grow with clarity, confidence, and balance.


If you're leading in ministry or business, then you likely know just how easy it is to get scattered, to lose your focus, and to start feeling ineffective. I've definitely been there myself, and that's why I created the Christian Leaders Self Assessment. It's free and in just 10 minutes it'll show you exactly how to gain clarity and confidence as a leader. Go to ryanfranklin.org or click the link in the description to take the assessment today.


And now let's dive into today's episode.


I want to share a mindset with you that has drastically reshaped my leadership more than any productivity system, planner, or self-help book that I've ever used or read. It's a simple realization I got from the Bible. The Bible taught me how to manage my time better than any self-help book ever could.


That might not sound totally surprising to you, but we live in a world saturated with hacks, frameworks, and systems designed to help you get more done faster. And look, I'm all about using tools—I use them myself; I've even built tools. But here's what I've learned the hard way: most leaders don't struggle with time because they lack desire; they struggle because they lack clarity.


Clarity is not something you get from a technique. It's something you get from personal vision.


When I talk with pastors and ministry leaders who are struggling, I notice something over and over again: they're not quitting ministry; they're still preaching, discipling people, and showing up for others. But almost imperceptibly, many of them have quit living with vision. They're functioning; they're faithful—but the fire, direction, and sense of divine assignment have slowly shifted into the background of their lives.


You don't lose that in some big dramatic moment; you actually lose it in the day-to-day grind of life.


I personally know that feeling deeply because I've lived it. There was a season in my life when I wasn't burned out or backslidden; I wasn't confused about my calling. Life was full—ministry was full—and my calendar was full. Slowly, without even realizing it, I started drifting and my personal vision eluded me.


I didn't really know exactly where I was going. I had some direction but no structure moving toward that direction. I had passion but no rhythm. I had a calling but no margin to actually walk that calling out.


Here's what the Lord convicted me of in that season: He said, "Ryan, you're carrying a vision that you're not stewarding."


Yikes.


That was a turning point for me because I realized something critical: vision is not just something you hear from God one time and then it's done. Vision is something you have to consistently work on with God as it shapes and unfolds.


Scripture speaks to the fact that we have to treat time as something to be stewarded. Psalm 90 says, "Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Notice it doesn't say "teach us to cram more into our days." It says "teach us to number them."


The Bible assumes we have limits—and unfortunately modern culture often ignores those limits.


Most self-help approaches to time management start with control: control of your time, your efforts—whatever else is needed—to control your time. But here's the difference: Scripture starts with your calling.


That difference really matters to apostolic Christians.


When you start with control, you chase efficiency. When you start with calling, you pursue faithfulness—and faithfulness simplifies decision-making.


Jesus is the greatest example of this. He was never rushed yet always purposeful. He withdrew regularly but was never irresponsible. He was interrupted constantly by people but never distracted from his mission.


Why? Because he didn't actually manage time; he obeyed the vision before him.


That's why you see him praying early in the morning; walking away from crowds; delaying responses that felt urgent to others.


Jesus understood something we often forget: urgency doesn't mean it's our assignment.


This is where most leaders get stuck.


Once a person's personal vision starts to drift, distraction doesn't have to work very hard—distraction usually shows up as an opportunity, a good idea, or some worthy cause in your life; maybe as an important need.


For apostolic leaders focused on growing God's kingdom, this is dangerous territory because when everything feels important, nothing feels intentional—and busyness can slowly replace fruitfulness.


Busyness is a terrible measure of obedience.


Another way distraction shows up is through vague vision. Many leaders know God has called them to something but haven't put that language into words—it lives as a burden or deep-down feeling but never becomes a clear mandate between them and God.


When vision stays vague it's easy for time to scatter among too many things not moving in the right direction.


And Scripture says where there is no vision, the people perish—leaders without clarity may not perish publicly but often feel like they're perishing internally.


Hey leaders—I’m interrupting this podcast briefly to remind you: if you feel stuck, scattered, or unsure how to grow your leadership then the Christian Leader Self Assessment is your starting point. It’s free and in just 10 minutes you'll get a personalized snapshot of your leadership health showing where you're thriving and where you need focus next.


Go to ryanfranklin.org or click the link in the description and take the self-assessment today.


Now let's get back to our podcast.


This is where my understanding of time changed completely: I stopped asking "How do I get more done in a day or week?" and started asking "What has God actually assigned me to do this week?"


That question changed everything for me.


We only have 168 hours in a week—seven days—and we're called to steward our time well.


Any vision without structure will always drift—and the first thing we must do is clarify our God-given three- to five-year vision—not ten seasons from now or someday down the road—but this season: three to five years ahead.


Why? Because obedience always lives out in short windows even when our calling is long term—and if vision stays abstract or distant motivation fades.


But when vision is defined and visible and present—that’s when time starts aligning in your life—and we have to follow our God-given vision.


That three- to five-year vision should move into yearly focus—I bring it down further into 90-day windows of time because many leaders try carrying their entire calling at once—and if the vision is big enough its weight can feel crushing enough to make you want to give up.


You're not called to fulfill everything at once—you’re called to be faithful with what’s next—and that requires regularly evaluating what's next—which makes breaking vision into 90-day segments so valuable: it shrinks vision down so it produces obedience instead of overwhelm.


Then comes weekly rhythm—this is where rubber meets road—where vision either lives or dies in your life—and if vision never shows up in your week then it's not a vision problem anymore; it's an execution problem.


Weekly vision—I call it "start-of-the-week site" (a term from my book)—forces leaders to decide what deserves their best energy—not just leftover energy—and turns hope into habit which moves needles like nothing else because habits shape outcomes.


Finally every 90 days it's important to pause and recalibrate—even for me drift is normal—we can't ignore drift; we have do something about it by realigning ourselves regularly every 90 days.


Here’s most important thing: these methods don’t create vision—you and God do that—the methods create alignment with that vision—and when alignment returns something powerful happens: your vision renews energy inside out—it’s amazing how clarity brings peace and confidence—and suddenly time stops feeling like an enemy fighting against you; instead it becomes a resource for your life.


But renewal doesn’t start with planners—it starts with presence—and if you're struggling with vision right now I encourage slowing down creating margin getting quiet before God


I've created a brand-new tool called the Christian Leader Site Planner designed for this kind of method—not another productivity tool but a stewardship framework facilitating your God-given vision


Most leaders don’t need new visions—they need space again hear what God already spoke—maybe clearer—and have a plan stewarding that well


Scripture shows God blesses structure because structure creates room for faithfulness


When leaders begin working their visions week by week momentum builds hope returns confidence stabilizes motivation energy come back consistently


Vision stops feeling heavy because it's broken down into faithful obedience


Jesus said “He who is faithful over least will be faithful over much”


Here’s my question for today:


What’s one faithful step you can take this next seven days?


Not ten steps—not perfect clarity later this year—but just this week


If God trusted you enough place a vision in your heart then that deserves stewardship structure rhythm


When stewarded correctly time begins serving calling instead stealing from it


I pray your coming season will be marked not by more activity but by greater alignment with what God truly assigned you


My name’s Ryan Franklin thank you so much for joining me today


God bless


Copyright © 2026 Ryan Franklin. All rights reserved.

 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page