My favorite word picture about time management involves a jar and a bunch of rocks. Basically, someone takes a large jar and fills it with big rocks. The jar appears full, but then they add a few handfuls of pebbles, shaking them down into the rocks. Next they add sand into the jar, which fills the remaining holes. Everything fits nicely into the jar.

The jar is our 24-hour day. The rocks are the important things we need to do that day. Those are our priorities. The pebbles are things that would be nice to do, and the sand represents things that nibble at our time. For example, our rocks in a given day might include activities like going to work, having a quiet time, eating dinner with our families, and getting enough sleep. The pebbles could be eating lunch with a friend, returning emails, or buying groceries. Sand might represent watching television or checking social media.

The point of the word picture is simple. When we put the “rocks” of our life in first, there is space for everything else that we need and want to do each day. But, if we were to put the sand in first, and then the pebbles, the rocks just won’t fit. The important stuff doesn’t get done that way. It’s a simple matter of priorities.

When we have a kingdom perspective, it correctly shapes our priorities. We determine to do the best things first.

Have you put your rocks in first today?