Faith and time management

[JaredR]

I love to spend my time praying, studying the Bible, and talking about God with others; however, I know that we can’t do this all the time and that we still have to live in the world. I struggle with doing things that require me to take my mind off God. College is a big one. I study for my courses, but I dread doing it and try to get it over with as quickly as possible. My courses aren’t difficult; I’m just not motivated to learn about these things.

I believe we can offer every work to God, but can we seek God in every work? If I could see studying history as a way of praying, I would be a much more motivated student!

 

[ACW88]

I know where you’re coming from, Jared. I have that problem, too, even though I’m studying theology! As much as I love all that I’m learning, I’d rather pray in the chapel than write a paper.

One thing that helped me was something a priest said at Mass to us students. He reminded us that we’re in school to fulfill the vocation that God has chosen for us. So, he said, metaphorically speaking, we can think of our desk as an altar where we offer up our work to God. So, it’s more than an ordinary work that we offer up, but it is part of our vocation that we consecrate to Him. I try to remind myself that as much as God wants me praying, if that’s all He wanted me to do He would have called me to be a monk. Since He called me to academia, part of my service and doing His Will is to do my best in my schoolwork.

I also constantly pray for focus, motivation, etc. before doing homework. There is also the Student’s Prayer, which goes:

Creator of all things, true source of Light and Wisdom, lofty source of all Being, graciously let a ray of Your Brilliance penetrate into the darkness of my understanding and take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, sin and ignorance. Give me a sharp sense of understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally. Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations, and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm. Point out the beginning, direct the progress, help in the completion. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Hope this helps!

 

[Edward_H]

Integrate and unify. Convert your work into prayer. Make an intention for each fixed period of work; offer it in a short prayer - 3-5 seconds and then work diligently at your work with God. Unify your struggles with Jesus on the cross.

Just a thought.