Another harmful practice that we can add to the list, and one that has seriously affected the Lord’s church, is that of preachers who do not use their time wisely in the work of the Lord.

Several years ago, I heard a preacher say the following: “It is a matter of conscience for a preacher not to get up early to work in the Lord’s work.” I have tried to find the original source of this statement, but up to this point I have not been able to identify with certainty who originally said it. For this reason, I do not wish to attribute it to any preacher without sufficient evidence. Nevertheless, the principle that this statement attempts to communicate deserves our serious consideration.

I am not saying that the Bible establishes a specific time at which every preacher must get up each morning. Nor am I saying that resting is sinful. Rest is necessary, and there are legitimate times to rest. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself took time to rest (Mark 6:31). Therefore, the problem is not simply getting up late; the problem is negligence, laziness, lack of discipline, and the wasting of the time that God has given us to serve Him.

A preacher who receives financial support from the church to devote his time to the ministry must remember that this privilege comes with a great responsibility. If the congregation trusts him to devote his time to the study of the Word, the preaching of the Gospel, teaching, evangelism, visitation, counseling, and the edification of the saints, then he must strive to fulfill these responsibilities with diligence, integrity, and excellence.

The Danger of a Lack of Supervision

In some congregations, preachers work without close supervision from the elders. This does not mean that elders should become supervisors of every minute of the preacher’s day. Rather, it means that there should be a healthy relationship of trust, accountability, and communication between the elders and the preacher.

When there is no good supervision, sadly, some may take advantage of that freedom to reduce their level of work. There are preachers who get up very late, not because they have been working diligently until late at night, but simply because they have not developed proper discipline in managing their time.

Others allow a large portion of their day to be consumed by activities that have nothing to do with the responsibilities they accepted when they began working with a congregation as full-time preachers.

Some spend too much time on social media. Others devote excessive hours to entertainment, sports, video games, or other personal activities. Some spend more time at the gym than studying the Word of God. Others spend a large portion of the day taking care of personal matters that could be handled at another time. And, sadly, there are those who come to the pulpit constantly using sermons prepared by other people because they themselves have not devoted the necessary time to study and preparation.

This is especially concerning because a preacher was not called simply to occupy a pulpit, but to be a diligent student of the Word and a devoted servant of Christ.

Paul told Timothy:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

The word “worker” reminds us that ministry requires work. And the command to “be diligent” demands effort, discipline, and dedication.

When Time Is Not Managed Properly

When a preacher does not use his time wisely, eventually there will not be enough time to fulfill important ministry responsibilities.

There will not be enough time to:

• deeply study the Word of God;
• prepare good sermons;
• prepare Biblical classes;
• evangelize;
• visit members;
• study the Bible with non-Christians;
• encourage the weak;
• counsel families;
• train other brethren to serve;
• plan spiritual activities;
• develop special classes for the spiritual growth of the congregation;
• write Biblical material;
• prepare studies for young people;
• visit the sick;
• work with new converts;
• strengthen weak members;
• and fulfill the many other responsibilities that are part of the work of an evangelist.

The problem is that lost time cannot be recovered.

Therefore, Paul exhorted the Christians in Ephesus:

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15–16).

Although this text was not addressed exclusively to preachers, it certainly contains a principle that every servant of God should take seriously. The Christian must learn to use wisely the time that God has given him.

Paul: An Excellent Example of Diligence

The New Testament gives us example after example of men who took their service to the Lord very seriously. One of the greatest examples is the apostle Paul.

In 1 Corinthians 15:10, Paul wrote:

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

Paul did not use the grace of God as an excuse to work less. The grace of God produced in him a greater desire to work for the Lord.

In 1 Corinthians 15:58, he exhorted:

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

Notice some important words:

“Steadfast.”
“Immovable.”
“Abounding.”
“Always.”
“Labor.”

These words hardly describe a person who is lazy or negligent in the service of the Lord.

Paul also told the elders of Ephesus:

“Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears” (Acts 20:31).

What an example of diligence!

Paul did not merely preach from a pulpit. He taught publicly and from house to house (Acts 20:20). He preached, taught, visited, exhorted, evangelized, and strengthened the brethren.

In Acts 20:24, we find one of the most powerful statements concerning his priorities:

“But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

Paul had a goal: to faithfully finish the ministry that Christ had entrusted to him.

At the end of his life, he was able to say:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7).

Paul did not merely begin well; he finished well.

Paul Took Advantage of Opportunities

Colossians 4:5 contains another important principle:

“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.”

Paul understood that opportunities to teach and evangelize were precious. Therefore, he exhorted Christians to take advantage of them.

In 2 Timothy 4:2, he gave Timothy a solemn responsibility:

“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

The faithful preacher does not work only when he feels like working. His commitment is to Christ, not simply to his mood or feelings.

Of course, this does not mean that a preacher can never rest, spend time with his family, exercise, or take care of personal matters. All of these things can have a proper place. The point is that none of these activities should become an excuse for neglecting the spiritual responsibilities that God has placed before us.

Jesus: Our Supreme Example of Diligence

Above Paul, we find our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Supreme example of diligent service.

Jesus said:

“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).

What a powerful perspective concerning time!

Jesus understood that there was a work He needed to accomplish and that opportunities would not last forever.

On another occasion, His disciples encouraged Him to eat, but Jesus responded:

“My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34).

Jesus had a deep conviction concerning the mission He had received from the Father.

Mark 3:20 shows us just how demanding His ministry could become:

“Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.”

Nevertheless, Jesus also understood the need for rest and to withdraw at times to rest (Mark 6:31). This teaches us something important: diligence does not mean irresponsibility toward our bodies or our families; it means wisely managing our time in order to fulfill the work God has entrusted to us.

The Preacher Must Be a Diligent Student

One of the greatest tragedies occurs when a preacher stops studying because he thinks he already knows enough.

Experience is valuable, but experience never replaces study.

Paul told Timothy:

“Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them…” (1 Tim. 4:15–16).

The preacher must continue to grow.

He must study the Biblical text.
He must study its context.
He must carefully examine the words.
He must understand the historical and cultural context.
He must compare Scripture with Scripture.
He must carefully prepare his lessons.
He must make sure that what he preaches is truly the Word of God.

It is not right for a preacher to spend hours in entertainment and then, at the last minute, hurriedly prepare the sermon he will present before the church.

The pulpit deserves our preparation. Souls deserve our preparation. The Word of God deserves our preparation. And God deserves our best effort.

It Is Not Simply About Working More, but About Working Wisely

We must also maintain balance. A preacher can be busy all day and yet not be doing the things he truly needs to do.

Therefore, it is not simply a matter of saying:

“I need to work more hours.”

Rather, we should ask ourselves:

Am I using wisely the hours God has given me?

Am I studying?
Am I evangelizing?
Am I visiting?
Am I preparing sermons?
Am I strengthening the members?
Am I training others?
Am I looking for opportunities to teach?
Am I helping the congregation grow spiritually?
Am I responsibly fulfilling that for which I was hired?

These are questions every preacher should ask himself periodically.

The Danger of Becoming a Lazy Preacher

Laziness is repeatedly condemned in Scripture (Prov. 6:6–11; 13:4; 24:30–34). Although these passages do not specifically address preachers, the principles concerning diligence and work certainly apply.

The preacher must be careful not to develop a mentality of comfort.

When the church financially supports a man so that he can devote his time to the ministry, it is not simply paying him to preach two or three sermons each week. The ministry involves much more.

The preacher must be a worker of the Lord.

He must remember Paul’s words:

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Col. 3:23).

If we preach, we should preach as unto the Lord.
If we study, we should study as unto the Lord.
If we evangelize, we should evangelize as unto the Lord.
If we visit, we should visit as unto the Lord.
If we teach, we should teach as unto the Lord.

Brethren preachers, our time is a gift from God, and our opportunity to serve Him will not last forever.

We do not know how many years we will have to preach. We do not know how many more opportunities we will have to teach someone the Gospel. We do not know how many more souls we will be able to reach. Therefore, we must take advantage of every opportunity God places before us.

Paul said:

“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16).

That should be the spirit of every faithful preacher.

Let us not waste our time.

Let us not waste our opportunities.

Let us not waste the privilege of preaching the Gospel.

Let us not allow entertainment, comfort, laziness, or personal interests to occupy the place that belongs to the work of the Lord.

Let us imitate Paul, who labored abundantly (1 Cor. 15:10), redeemed the time (Eph. 5:16), taught night and day (Acts 20:31), and considered it a privilege to finish the ministry he had received from the Lord (Acts 20:24).

Above all, let us imitate our Lord Jesus Christ, who said:

“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day” (John 9:4).

May we never reach the end of our ministry regretting the time we wasted, the opportunities we allowed to pass, or the souls we could have reached.

Rather, may we one day be able to say with Paul:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7).

God and His church deserve our best and greatest effort.