I was recently listening to a LifeChurch.tv sermon on my iPod by Craig Groeschel about “being rich” rather than getting rich.  One of the key thoughts in this sermon series what that we are already “rich” and we have to better learn how to handle being rich.

One of the things that really hit home with me was that in order for God to use us in His plan, we have to have margin.  This applies not only to our money, but just as well to our time.  Case in point: if you are spending 20 hours a day at work, there is no time for you to minister to your family, or to someone else God would want you to minister to.  Also, if you spend more than you make each month and continue to go in the hole, there is no way you will be able to give back to God or make a special offering when someone else really needs the money.

For me, trying to build margin with my time is the hardest.  My wife and I both work demanding jobs.  Jobs that demand a lot of our emotional energy as well as our time.  It is so easy for me to get caught up in a case I am working on a few minutes before “quitting time” and I end up staying at work an hour later than I intended.  What am I missing out on at home?  Who knows what my wife went through that day that she needs to talk about.  What about what my baby boy may have learned to do that day?  What if my neighbor or grandmother needs help doing some work at their house?  If you don’t have any flexibility or time built into your schedule or your money, it is going to be hard for you to be used by God.

So… go make some margin.