The Compass and The Clock
The compass and the clock will only bring value to us if we know how to use them properly. These are two very important tools with two very different purposes. We do not want to confuse the two.
A compass determines our effectiveness on how well we stay on the trail and head in the correct direction toward our destination. The clock helps us to regulate how far we will travel each day. If we attempt to be overly efficient by completing too many activities, then we will burn out before effectively reaching our destination.
As an analogy to our trek, if we try to run too fast on this trail of life, we may very well find that we lose our footing and careen down the mountainside in a bloody heap of nothingness.
As this applies to our daily tasks, the compass helps us in doing the right tasks. A clock helps us to do the tasks with efficiency.
Each has its place. But, the compass must come before the clock; therefore, effectiveness before efficiency. The “mega priorities” of the compass (our destination) governs the “mini priorities” of the clock (daily tasks).
As a Christian, I look at it in this manner. To surrender our time to God is to be governed by a compass rather than to be controlled by a clock. A compass, therefore, becomes a symbol of an internal guidance system that provides us with our values and convictions, which mine happen to be based on God’s Word.
This non-negotiable governs our lives. In the same manner that the magnetic force pulls the compass needle, it is God who governs the drive of our lives. We surrender to His force and focus on those tasks that will ultimately help us to reach our destination. This is how we begin to create a living legacy.
The reason I am able to use God’s Word for guidance and direction is found in Psalm 119:105, “Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
Let’s keep balanced in life by effectively using the compass to guide our overall direction, as we daily use the clock so we can be efficient. And remember Ephesians 5:15-17, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”