NOB Empowerment Seminar

Skills development and time management

5-6 February 2016

Barend PetersenGeneral Treasurer

Agenda

• Introduction• Value of time• Time management • Skill development a biblical foundation• Developing skills • Consequences of skills development • Questions

Introduction

• So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90 verse 12)

Introduction

• For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; Ecclesiastes 3 verse 1 to 8

Introduction

• He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart… Ecclesiastes 3 verse 11

• God het elke ding gemaak dat dit pas in ‘n bepaalde tyd maar Hy het ook die mens ‘n besef gegee van die onbepaalde tyd Prediker 3 vers 11

Value of time

• Every day has 24 hours• Time passed is time gone forever • Time impact money, the value of money is

halved within around 5 years• However some people get more done than

others in a day• Apostle Paul asked us to redeem the time

Time management • Understand how and develop ability to focus including our cognitive

ability, to concentrate, think, specific direction of intellectual ability

• In science , cognition is the set of all mental abilities and processes related to knowledge, attention, memory and working memory, judgment and evaluation, reasoning and computation, problem solving and decision making, comprehension and production of language etc. Human cognition is conscious and unconscious, concrete or abstract, as well as intuitive (like knowledge of a language) and conceptual (like a model of a language).

• Cognitive processes use existing knowledge and generate new knowledge. (Source Wikipedia)

Time management

• Punctuality should be a lifestyle, reflecting an understanding of the value of time of others

• Prioritise and focus on what matters most• Make the best use of time, every hour waste is lost forever• Do not major in minors• Utilisation of collective skills increase range of available

skills and free up time (Moses and Jethro)• Time spend on regrets and celebrating past achievements

reduces the time to live today to the full and plan for tomorrow

Time management

• Some things can wait, not everything is urgent and some things are a waste of time

• Utilisation of technology will free up unproductive use of time

• Being guided by the Holy Spirit and divine insight saves time

• Follow the most appropriate route as the shortest route may be more time consuming and costly

Skills development – Biblical foundation

• The Bible speaks in no uncertain terms on the values placed on character, integrity, wisdom, knowledge

Skills development – Biblical foundation

• And Moses said to the children of Israel, See, the Lord has called by name Bezaleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah (31) and hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; 32) And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in solver, and in brass, and in the cutting of stones, to set them and the carving of wood to make any manner of cunning work (Exodus 30 to 33)

Skills development – Biblical foundation

• (34) And he hath put in his heart that he might teach, both he, and Aboliab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of DAn. (35) Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroider in blue and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and that of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work. (Exodus 35 verse 30 to 35)

Skills development – Biblical foundation

• The principle of generational blessings is well established, divine blessings impacting and directing to course of life of generation after generation

Skills development a Biblical foundation

• Do you see a man skilled in his work. He will stand in the presence of kings. He will not stand in the presence of unknown men. (Proverbs 22 verse 29)

• (Bring certain people)…No blemish, skillful in wisdom, cunning in knowledge and understanding in science, and as such had the ability in them to stand in the King’s palace (Daniel 1 verse 3 to 5)

• Then the one who received five talents went and traded with the same and made them five other talents (Matthew 25 verse 16)

Developing our skills

• Developing both our cognitive and executional ability

• We do not start out being skilful and competent• Losing the fear of failure is a major enabler to

commence the skills development journey• An important starting point when we realise our

limitations and decide to do something about it• Rise above adversities including the doubters

Developing our skills • Development of skills is a sacrificial long term

journey with costly lessons• Discipline and commitment are key • Invest in training, knowledge and understanding • Follow your natural their skill and talent • Too often we are satisfied to meet only the

limited expectations of those who placed us in a particular box

Consequences of skills development

• Increase confidence• More valuable because of your skills • Mature insights • Improved understanding of complexities• More effective output• Increased satisfaction• More effective use of time