For too many years, I've allowed myself to think that progress simply happens. Now, if you asked me, "Do you just naturally get smarter and accomplish goals without effort?" I would reply, "Why, no, that's simply ludicrous!" But in reality, I've allowed myself to live that way. Yes, I've pursued goals that I've had and followed routines in order to achieve an education. However, it's much harder now that I'm out to pursue the areas that seem important. It's not from a lack of desire, just a lack of organized time. When you don't organize your time, then your goals don't get accomplished. Thankfully there is a remedy: find out how much time you spend in different areas. Plan out your free time. Okay, so not orginal ideas, but they work! In my family, it can be a little hard to do this due to having a needy handicapped brother who likes to demand attention. However, when I look at the situation honestly, I realize I could be doing much more with my time, rather than wasting it. I think we have to start with the knowledge that time is God's, abilities are God's, and we can only make of ourselves what God wants us to by being good stewards of both of these aspects. Easy? No. Possible? Yes, most definitely.
Planning must involve wisdom and a practical outlook to what we can really do with our time. The idealistic approach doesn't generally pan out. But God doesn't tempt us with abilities that we can further. He provides a way. I'm not going to magically learn the areas of Greek such as present tense, present progressive (or whatever it's called) that will help me understand my Bible better. I'm not going to become fluent in another language by thinking about how necessary it is. It can be hard because life happens, other people tend to impose on your schedule, and flexibility is a must. But perseverance produces progress. And God can give you strength.
