Do you feel overwhelmed and exhausted by your current daily demands? Do you regularly feel like you never have enough time to get everything on your to-do list? This plan is designed to take you on a purposeful yet practical journey to manage your time based on God’s word. Each day offers a step-by-step solution to the time management blues. It’s time to experience less overwhelmed and take control of your calendar once and for all.
Entrusted Women
Day 1
Scriptures: Isaiah 14:24, Habakkuk 2:2-3
Which Planner Would Jesus Buy?
While we will never know whether Jesus was a Franklin Covey or Erin Condren planner kind of guy, we do know that Jesus is a master planner. In Creation, we witness a masterful planner who took a big, wide, blank, void canvas and intricately and proactively planned out a world of systems, structures, and processes for man to not just operate in but to flourish within. Before God ever hung a star in the sky or crafted a bird of any kind, He had a vision– A vision in which man and woman would have everything they needed to accomplish His will – nothing lacking.
God planned for us to flourish within time, not simply manage it.
Yet, many of us start daily planning without aligning our to-do lists with God’s long-term vision for our lives.
Like God, we must start with the end in mind, then fill in the lines of our planners and agendas.
When Habakkuk heard from God to write the vision, he was frustrated by a recent military loss. He was questioning the fairness of his current situation. I think it would be safe to assume Habakkuk expected to be farther along in his success and was seeking God for answers. God’s response to Habakkuk was to think beyond the immediate and act based on the future God intended for him and his people. God told Him to expect future challenges but to be patient and trust God would bring His ultimate vision to pass.
In the interim, He admonished Habakkuk to write simple, actionable steps towards its fulfillment.
Our desire to see immediate results often blurs God’s will for our daily actions to fall within a bigger, longer-term God-sized plan. God has a vision expressly designed just for us, and our to-do list should reflect it.
Prayer:
Lord, remind me that you have an intricately and purposefully designed vision for my life. Help me align the things on my to-do list with Your will for my life. Amen.
Journal Prompt(s):
What do you believe is God’s vision, not just for your life, but for this season, year, month, and day?
What do you need to prioritize to accomplish the vision?
Day 2
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1
Is Ecclesiastes 3:1 Really True?
Within seven years, I married the love of my life, became a bonus mom, moved halfway across the country, birthed four sons, accepted a position as a Chief Financial Officer, and began writing my first book.
Daily, I rushed to feed my kids, bolted out of my house (usually late), then sped from the carpool line to the fast food line. After scoring a coveted parking spot, I sprinted to my office and greeted everyone with a smile, never forgetting to ask about their families and lives while I struggled to tend to mine.
No one would have guessed that the impeccably dressed, 5’11” woman of stature was crumbling on the inside. Nobody saw it, but the ones who loved me felt it.
I was so determined to do it all that I did not realize I was slowly losing my physical, mental, emotional, family, and marital health.
My need to keep up with the speed of life led to never-ending things-to-do lists and an unhealthy relationship with time.
When I finally set aside a purposeful moment to sit quietly in God’s presence, I heard, “sloooooooooooooow down.”
Truthfully, I knew what to do, but I had no idea how to do it.
How could a mom of 5 with a million demands slow down?
I never had enough time, and the time that I did have was always running out.
But, is it possible to believe there is never enough time and “a time and a season for everything under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)?
In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, we find more than an aggregation of verses – we find a mindset.
A mindset that says the time God has given us to handle the responsibilities He assigned to us is just right.
Before we can flourish within the life God has given us, we must align our concept of time with God’s intentions. The time God has given you to complete His will is always sufficient.
When you find yourself running out of time, remember you get to decide if you want to believe the lie that you do not have enough time or not.
Prayer:
Lord, help me change my unhealthy relationship with time. Remind me that I have enough time for what You have called me to do and enough grace for everything that remains undone.
Journal Prompt:
Do you believe God is calling you to speed up and try to do more, or slow down and do what matters most?
Day 3
Scriptures: Genesis 1:11, Genesis 1:17-18, 2 Corinthians 12:9
Where Do I Start and Stop?
I’m eight years older than my next youngest sister. Growing up, we shared secrets, ideas, and even snacks. But the first time I saw her wearing my clothes, I lost it. I felt violated and disrespected. My clothes were mine, and the line into my closet was never to be crossed.
God also draws clear lines that are designed not to be crossed. In Creation, God clearly distinguished where the heavens stopped and the earth began. He separated the role of light from darkness and designated each seed to produce specific fruit according to its own kind.
Each aspect of Creation had clearly delineated responsibilities and operated within its purposefully designated territory.
One of the ways we can flourish within time is to remember God created our limitations deliberately on purpose.
Instead of fighting against limitations, we are encouraged to boast in them (2 Cor 12:9), recognizing every limitation we experience is an opportunity for Christ to demonstrate His strength. When we have limited time, resources, and experience, the optimal conditions exist for God to do more and with our less.
One of the greatest enemies of how we allocate time is to confuse what tasks are our responsibility, someone else’s, and God’s alone. Many of us spend time watering gardens that are not ours to tend. When we have clear boundaries, we do not waste time allowing other people’s expectations to push us into unintended territory.
God has given us limited time, resources, and talents on purpose. Accept them and remember, we serve a God who specializes in doing more with our less.
His grace is sufficient even when the time is not available to get everything done.
Prayer:
Lord, show me the roles and responsibilities you assigned to me, You, and others. And give me the wisdom to know the difference. When my long list of to-dos calls my name, remind me to call upon Your name and rely on Your grace.
Journal Prompt:
Where do you need to strengthen your boundaries, clarify your responsibilities, and lighten your load?
Day 4
Scriptures: Mark 10:19-22, Matthew 22:36-38, Zechariah 4:10, Hebrews 12:11
Jesus never skipped the fundamentals
I am the only girl in my family of 7.
As a basketball mom, I have lost (I mean spent) years of my life watching basketball games.
While the fancy maneuvers of basketball legends make for amazing TV, strong fundamentals win games.
No matter how many slam dunks or impressive half-court shots are made, our favorite teams would never make it to the championships without the dozens of unmemorable layups.
Jesus cares deeply about the fundamentals.
In fact, He regularly directs key characters back to them.
In Mark 10:19, the rich young ruler checked off all the boxes of the things he had done, yet he missed the fundamentals. Despite his accomplishments at a young age, an unimpressed Jesus redirected him back to the fundamentals to give up everything and follow Him (Mark 10:21).
When an educated lawyer tested Jesus by asking Him the greatest commandment of all, Jesus responded without hesitation, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37).
Jesus points him back to the fundamentals.
While the world celebrates the slam dunks of life, Jesus is unimpressed by our fancy lives or accomplishments that overlook the fundamentals that matter to Him.
Often, we want a purposeful life without building that life one purposeful day at a time.
We want a healthy body without developing a consistently healthy lifestyle.
We want spiritual maturity without daily meditation, study, and application.
We want good mental health without rest, diet, boundaries, habits, and counsel.
We want perfectly managed time without implementing the boundaries, processes, and vision required to achieve it.
Fundamentals are built line upon line and precept upon precept. It takes discipline. And it often takes small beginnings, so do not despise them.
If you want to flourish within the God-given time assigned to you, do not forsake 15 minutes daily studying His word.
Do not despise skipping the snooze button to devote 20 minutes to exercise.
No matter how accomplished your life may seem, you are short-changing the most purposeful life God desires for you if you skip the fundamentals.
Prayer:
Lord, help me not become so impressed by the slam dunks of life that I forego the fundamentals you value. Help me value what you value, Lord. Amen.
Journal Prompt:
What fundamentals are missing from your things-to-do list?
Day 5
Scriptures: Genesis 1:31, Philippians 1:6, Ecclesiastes 5:19
“It Was Good.”
There is a burger place in Georgia that sells the most amazing key lime custard. With each bite, the distinct flavor explodes in my mouth — tart perfection with the most precise measure of sweetness.
Long after scraping the last crevice, my mind lingers on how good it was.
God shared a similar experience with us in Creation. At the end of each day, God savored the evidence of what He created by saying, “And God saw that it was good.”
Interestingly, God took pleasure and delight in His Creation each day even though He still had more work to do, and much of Creation remained undone.
Why?
Because He knew it would all eventually be completed. He was confident that the work He began, He would complete.
The same is true for us. We are promised by a confident Paul that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Yet, many of us end our day with dissatisfaction, doubt, and unfulfillment, feeling like enough is never enough. We struggle to take a moment to enjoy and celebrate the work of our hands. Instead, we allow the seriousness and urgency of life to revoke the gift of enjoyment God graciously grants us.
As we shift our goal from time management to flourishing within the time given to us, God desires us to celebrate what He’s allowed us to accomplish and to take time to enjoy it.
Set aside time to enjoy the relationships He’s given you.
Get outside and enjoy nature.
Let out that deep belly laugh.
Take a vacation or a day off.
Dance away the weight of the day.
And belt out your favorite song like you have Mariah Carey’s vocal range.
God created us not simply to live life but to enjoy it. Open His gift to us by having more fun and enjoying the life He has given to you.
Prayer:
Lord, help me not to let the seriousness of the day prevent me from enjoying the many gifts of life you have bestowed upon me. Help me not to take for granted the gift of enjoyment that You have graciously given me.
Journal Prompt:
How can you purposefully set aside time to enjoy the life God has graciously given you this week?
What can you celebrate that you have accomplished this week?
Day 6
Scripture: Matthew 16:26
Is it Worth it?
“How much, Sir?”
The tone in my voice spoke volumes beyond the literal words.
I was shocked that a simple 20oz Coke could cost almost $4.
At the time, I did not consider the price of a Coke purchased at the airport must take into account costs my local convenience store does not.
Many of us are unaware of the tax we are paying to live the lifestyles we have embraced.
Migraines, missed sleep, toxic work lives, extra pounds, chaotic personal lives, languishing relationships, and off-the-chart stress levels are the daily costs many of us pay.
Shortly before my 42nd birthday, I started experiencing the most unrelenting pain.
I would soon learn the culprit was Shingles.
Shortly after delivering the diagnosis, my doctor asked, “Are you under a lot of stress?”
I considered her question for a moment.
My husband and I recently purchased a restaurant franchise.
And, for the second year in a row, I was knee-deep in the college application process with my kids.
Yet, I was unsure how to answer the question.
Like a sweater stretched beyond its original size, I had always pushed the limits of the stress-o-meter. Sadly, I never took the time to calculate the extra costs I was paying physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Shingles forced me to ask the question. Was it worth the cost?
Was it worth the constant hustle and bustle, the limited time to connect with those I truly loved, and the continued feeling of depletion and overwhelm?
When was the last time you assessed the costs you are paying for the current life you lead?
My shingles diagnosis pushed me to consider if it was time for me to pull back in some areas I had always pushed through. Those changes led to a career change, and a massive lifestyle downsize to reduce the intensity of the life I was leading.
While a massive downsize may not be the answer for you, identifying ways to lower your lifestyle’s financial, mental, emotional, and spiritual costs can immediately impact your ability to flourish within the time on Earth God has granted you.
Prayer:
Lord, show me the costs of the lifestyle decisions I am making today. Amen.
Journal Prompts:
What are the costs you are currently paying for your lifestyle choices?
Where are some areas you can reduce the costs spiritually, financially, mentally, and physically?
Day 7
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Sound the Alarm
We set times and alarms for important matters.
It is important to arrive at work on time, so we set an alarm.
When we have an important event to attend, we set a time to leave.
When our boss says they need to meet with us, we set a time to meet.
We do not make time for these commitments. We set a time for them.
We may be tired.
We may have a million things to do, yet these items rise to the top and end up in the “completed” category.
We knew what was important to Jesus by the life He lived, not simply by what He told us.
Many of us say we prioritize God, but our calendars say differently. We do not realize our spoken priorities do not reflect our lived priorities.
When this happens, we experience a priority misalignment.
I did not realize I was experiencing a priority misalignment until the daily grind subtly eroded my physical, spiritual, and mental well-being, and inner frustration settled in. I attempted to address the symptoms of my lifestyle without understanding the root cause.
Many share these struggles. We fail to assess our missing fundamentals and weak boundaries, count the costs of our lifestyle choices, or seek God for His vision.
As a result, our lived-out priorities look nothing like God’s priorities for our life.
When I finally got serious about exercising, I set a specific time and a 6:00 am alarm on Tuesday and Thursday to walk to my stop sign and back.
It was simple, actionable, and specific.
I did not make time for it. I set a specific day, time, and duration to get it done.
God set aside time for everything under the sun. If we desire to graduate beyond managing time and instead flourish within it, we must stop settling for making timeand instead set a time to do the things that truly matter.
Prayer:
Lord, open my heart, mind, and calendar to receive the strategies you designed for us to flourish within time. Amen.
Journal Prompt:
What days, times, and duration of time will you set aside this week for your priorities?