What practical fact of daily life most differentiates the person in the pew from the one in the pulpit? Is it wisdom? Education? Creativity? Compassion? Or faith? Hardly.

I think the factor that most distinguishes my life as a pastor and the people I serve is just time. No one has more time than a pastor.

This, of course, seems beyond outrageous to say. After all, the one thing I and every other pastor knows is this: we have no time!

So what am I saying?

Think about it this way. One of the primary human resources a congregation gives its pastor is the gift of time. By being paid to serve full-time, a congregation says, "We want you to have the time to exercise your gifts in leading us." Who else in our congregation is handed every week the overt gift of time to seek and serve God?

So why do we as pastors feel we have no time? Because we still never have enough! And, in fact, that's true. We don't.

That's why, before consulting the One-Minute Manager, we pastors need to learn more from the Lord ...