How to Schedule: Part 3

So last week, we talked about the practical steps of ordering your time. Making a plan for your time is extremely necessary! But like I mentioned last week, planning our days goes hand-in-hand with letting God direct our steps. We really can't separate one from the other and still have a Biblical view of stewarding time.

Let's start by going back Proverbs 16.

Proverbs 16:1

The plans of the heart belong to man,

but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

2

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,

but the Lord weighs the spirit.

3

Commit your work to the Lord,

and your plans will be established.

4

The Lord has made everything for its purpose,

even the wicked for the day of trouble.

5

Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord;

be assured, he will not go unpunished.

6

By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,

and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.

7

When a man's ways please the Lord,

he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

8

Better is a little with righteousness

than great revenues with injustice.

9

The heart of man plans his way,

but the Lord establishes his steps.

This time I underlined the parts of the passage that point to the importance of committing our ways to the Lord, and letting God direct our steps. Last we focused on the planning part of scheduling, and this week our focus in on the submission part of scheduling.

So if we've done all the work to plan, what is the importance of submitting that plan to God? Well, we're going to go back to the same 3 heart principles we've been looking at each time we've talked about scheduling.

First, letting God direct our steps demonstrates where our hearts are focused. Having a plan shows that we are serious about stewardship. That we have put God first in our time; we have made time for what is important, and we have left time for rest. Yet, even that is not enough by itself to demonstrate Godly stewardship. Remember that stewardship is an acknowledgement of ownership. We do not own our time. And if we become too wrapped up in our plan, it very quickly becomes something we are using for our own good or gain. By submitting that schedule to God and letting Him direct our steps, it reorients our focus to using the time for His glory.

It may be hard at first to know if you're demonstrating submission to God in your scheduling. So let me give you a few easy ways to tell if your schedule has become an idol.

1. You allow yourself to be angry, upset, or frustrated if your schedule changes.

2. You allow yourself to grumble and complain if your schedule feels to full.

3. You are not praising God for the things that are on or not on your schedule.

4. You schedule over the important things on your schedule because there are things you really want to do.

5. Your busyness becomes an excuse not to do the things that God has called you to prioritize.

The second reason that letting God direct our steps is important is that it clarifies the balance between God's sovereignty and our work. Remember that we mentioned last week that planning our days demonstrates that we take responsibility for doing the work that God has called us too. In the same way, committing those plans to the Lord demonstrates that we realize that the labor is in vain without him. He sees our intentions, He establishes our ways, and He gives our work purpose.

This is when we begin to see that beautiful balance! As we plan out our days, we commit those plans to God, and see Him direct. Then we can with joy and contentment and diligence do the work He has laid out for us. So how do we commit our way to the Lord. We pray:

1. Pray about your schedule. Pray specifically for the things on it; pray for God to show you where your focus is wrong; pray for God to make time for the things He values.

2. Pray for God to prepare your heart and mind and spirit for the difficult things that are on your schedule. Pray for contentment and meaning in the mundane. Pray for humility and joy in the exciting. Pray for peace and wisdom in the challenging.

3. Pray for forgiveness and direction if you have over-scheduled or poorly-scheduled, ask God to show you how He would desire for you to correct those mistakes. If you have sinfully prioritized comfort or selfish desires, or if you have not prioritized God's Word and His people, then repent of those things and ask God to direct your heart to the right desires.

Lastly, letting God direct our steps gives us the ability to freely say yes to the things that are important. I don't know how many times after planning my schedule out for the week, it has seemed way too hectic or I've found mistakes in over-planning, or it has seemed like I've left way too much free time. Yet, when I take my schedule and put it back in the Lord's hands, I find that he does miraculous things to direct my steps. With a plan to steward well my time, I can confidently say yes to the things that are important knowing that God will establish my steps and accomplish His way because He is sovereign and my time belongs to Him.

As you begin your week with a plan, take that plan to the Lord in prayer, and watch Him do miraculous things through your time this week!!