Overseer of God’s Remnant Assembly Akintayo Emmanuel Shares 3 Powerful Time Management Insights During the Coronavirus Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has forced billions of people around the world to rapidly and in some cases radically shift their lifestyle. Among other adverse consequences, this seismic shift has triggered a wave of inefficiency that could lead to significant problems both now and down the road.

“Prior to the pandemic, people would typically wake up at the same time every morning so they could go to work or school, and in the evening they would have dinner, unwind and head to bed to prepare for the next day’s routine,” commented Akintayo Emmanuel, the Overseer of God’s Remnant Assembly. “However, now many of these same people have entered a kind of Twilight Zone as far as time management is concerned. They are struggling to wake up in the morning and fall asleep at a reasonable hour, and during the day they are spending an excessive amount of time on unproductive activities. Even individuals who are fortunate enough to be able to work from home are falling into this inefficiency pitfall, which is negatively affecting their work and will make it very difficult for them to adjust once it is safe to head back into the office.”

Akintayo Emmanuel, who in addition to his work with God’s Remnant Assembly also serves as President of G42-Global Reformers, The Bridge, and GRA Mission Squad, recommends that people struggling with time management should take at least some minutes to seek inspiration from the Bible, which offers powerful and profound advice regarding the use and abuse of one’s limited allotment of time. Three particularly important passages are: James 4:13–14, Matthew 6:33, and 1 Corinthians 15:33.

James 4:13–14: “You should know better than to say, `Today or tomorrow we will go to the city. We will do business there for a year and make a lot of money!’ What do you know about tomorrow? How can you be so sure about your life? It is nothing more than mist that appears for only a little while before it disappears.”

Commented God’s Remnant Assembly’s Akintayo Emmanuel, who has a vision of seeing all nations coming together to worship the Lord and deeply walking closer to Him; especially nations that have yet to be reached with the everlasting gospel of the Kingdom of God: “The critical teaching in James 4:13–14 is not that we should avoid planning for the future. For example, if we wish to improve our career prospects and success, then it makes perfect sense to look for classes and courses that will help us achieve this worthy goal. Or if we are starting a business, then we need a robust strategic plan to guide us forward. Rather, it is that we should never take the future for granted, because our future is in God’s hands. We should make the best use of the time that has been given to us each day, each hour, and each moment. Life is the most precious gift of all, and we must accept it with humility and gratitude.”

Matthew 6:33: “But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.”

According to Akintayo Emmanuel: “If we truly belong to Christ, then the basis of all of our actions and decisions is always to carry out God’s will and plan in our daily lives by what we do, what we think, and how we feel. When God is our goal in everything we do, then we will automatically become much better stewards of our time. Even when we relax — which is an important part of life — we do so with the satisfaction of knowing that we are restoring our energy to carry out God’s work, regardless of our situation or vocation.”

1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not fool yourselves. Bad friends will destroy you.”

The pivotal warning in 1 Corinthians 15:33 is that we are deeply influenced by the company we keep; not just in ways we grasp, but in ways that we do not. If we have friends who do not value their time, then we should first try and help them improve. If this is not fruitful, then with love rather than judgement in our hearts, we should disengage with them. They are traveling on a different path, and one day they will change course.