Over the next couple of days, let’s take a look at Jesus’ work philosophy – His attitude, values, and beliefs – on how to get things done.

The principles He lived by call for these:

1) Being clear about our assignments. Jesus said, ‘I must finish the work that he gave me to do.’ He understood that being focused really helps us maximise our skills and recognise opportunities. If we’re talented, energetic, and active, but we’re still not seeing definite results, it’s worth considering if we’re lacking focus. When Nehemiah was rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, his enemies said, ‘Come, let us meet together’ (Nehemiah 6:2 NKJV). That’s when Nehemiah sent back this message: ‘I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down’ (v.3 NKJV).

2) Prioritising tasks in the order of their importance. When we don’t do what has to be done according to its importance, jobs start to arrange themselves according to their urgency. And when that happens, we can miss some great opportunities. The Bible says Jesus ‘needed to go through Samaria’ (John 4:4 NKJV). To the disciples, this probably looked like a diversion because it wasn’t the shortest route to where they wanted to go. But there was a woman in Samaria Jesus wanted to redeem; a vessel through which He reached the entire city with the gospel. Jesus was clear about His priorities, and we need to be too.

3) Creating a definite timetable. In other words, set deadlines and stick with them. Jesus knew He had only three-and-a-half years to get the job done, so He made every day count. One of the biggest lies we tell ourselves is, ‘I’ll get to it later.’ Instead, let’s allow Jesus’ work philosophy to become our master plan.

What Now?

Let’s try to get into good habits of prioritising and setting timetables. Start small by thinking about what you want to achieve today (make sure to ask God what He wants you to achieve, too). Be specific about what tasks you’re going to do, then create a timetable for the day ahead to help keep yourself on track.