The Inestimable Value of Time

Time is a curious thing.

You see, time is the one thing we are always spending, yet we can never get back. In the world of business, this lesson reveals itself quickly. Every decision, every meeting, and every investment comes at the cost of time. But I’ve realized this is not just a business truth—it’s a life truth, one that all of us must face, whether in finance, or in the everyday decisions of life.

I often remind myself and my clients: time is the one investment we cannot stop making. No matter what, the clock is ticking, and we are investing each moment into something. The question is not whether we are spending time, but how we are spending it. I have learned that the way we choose to invest this precious resource reveals more about us than anything else. Our choices, the things we give our days and hours to, are the truest indicators of what we value and believe.

...time is the one investment we cannot stop making.

It's a sobering realization, isn’t it? To know that our use of time shows the world—and ourselves—what really matters to us. I’ve seen this in my own life. There were moments when I thought I was prioritizing one thing, but after reflection, my time had gone elsewhere. It’s easy to get distracted by the urgent and miss what’s truly important.

...our use of time shows the world--and ourselves--what really matters to us.

As an insurance agent and CEO, I’m in the business of helping people steward their financial resources. But if there’s one resource we should be best at stewarding, it’s time. And yet, so many of us don’t even know where to start. That’s a reality I’ve faced myself, and I see it in my clients as well. We live in a fast-paced world, full of distractions and endless demands on our attention. We’re pulled in so many directions that it’s hard to know where our time should go.

Here's where I've found the turning point...

Proper time management begins with understanding your purpose.

It's about understanding your why. For me, as a Christian, that why is clear: My purpose is to know God and make Him known, and in doing so, to glorify Him. This foundational belief has helped me align my priorities and goals, not only in business, but in every area of life. If my purpose is to glorify God, then everything I spend my time doing should flow from that purpose.

If my purpose is to glorify God, then everything I spend my time doing should flow from that purpose.

I can illustrate this with a lesson I’ve learned from running Hopkins Financial. In the early days of the business, I often found myself chasing opportunities that seemed profitable on the surface but did not align with my deeper goals. Time and again, I’d get caught up in the whirlwind of tasks, meetings, and deadlines, only to realize that I was spending time on things that weren’t truly important in the grand scheme of my purpose. Each time I made that mistake, I was reminded of this simple truth: anything I choose to do comes at the expense of what I could have done. This means I must ask myself, not “What do I feel like doing?” but rather, “What can I do now that will most effectively align with my priorities and fulfill my purpose?”

...anything I choose to do comes at the expense of what I could have done.

This is the great dilemma of time: every action comes with a corresponding sacrifice. To say yes to one thing means saying no to countless others. As I’ve learned in both my business and personal life, the true cost of time is not just in the doing of one thing, but in the loss of all the other things I could have done. This forces us to be intentional. If time is a gift, it is also a responsibility. How we spend it reveals, more clearly than words or intentions, where our hearts truly lie.

Let us, therefore, resolve to be faithful stewards of time.

Not merely filling our days with activity, but aligning every task, every endeavor, with the glorious purpose for which we were created. In the end, how we spend our time will not only reflect our values—it will reveal our true affections, our hearts laid bare before the God who has given us this most precious gift. Every moment and every choice is an eternal investment. Let us spend wisely, for time will pass indifferent to our hopes, fears, or desires, leaving in its wake only the question: how was it spent?