I clearly remember the day that I stomped my foot, looked upward, and said “I didn’t sign up for this!” The Lord replied, “Oh, yes My child, you did. You may not have realized it would be this hard, but I have already given you the means to deal with all of these changes. You did it when you had five children under the age of nine. You did it when you owned your own business. You can make this work. Just surrender your plans to Me and remember that you have been called to reach these people who need Me. I have a relationship with you, and I want to have one with them. They need to see Me in you, but that can only happen if you and your family are available to them and spend time with them and around them.” I worried that my family would suffer. God promised that they wouldn’t. He helps me keep the balance. As our church grows and our lives get busier, we have to rework the plan. I have to give all of it to Him and know that He has our best interests at heart. As we give more to Him, God makes the tasks easier. All He wants us to do is give Him the reigns. Time management is not a foreign concept for the Lord. He likes “order.” Look at how he handled creation!
Plan with Prayer
The most important part of planning your day is to first spend time with God. As you sit down for your quiet time, bring your calendar or a notepad. Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” As you start your day or as you are going over your tasks for the week you must seek the Lord’s guidance, asking Him to show you what He would have you do that day, what is most important, and what should be removed from your schedule. What you thought were your priorities may change. Give your list of “to do’s” to the Lord, committing them to Him, and be willing to be flexible. Ask God to give you the graciousness you need to allow your plans to be interrupted and changed as He, in His sovereignty, allows.
Plan with Purpose “Purpose” seems to be a popular buzz word these days. I discovered its significance for my own life about 10 years ago when we assisted in the planting of a “Purpose-Driven” church in another city. There are a great number of things that can be done, need to be done, and should be done. There are good things, and there are great things. These may or may not fall within the purpose that God has for your life or your role as the wife of a church planter. With this in mind, as with any good self-improvement plan, you need to have incentive. You need to have a “why”—a purpose—for managing your time. When my life is chaotic, I am no longer able to fulfill the call on my life to glorify God, to care for my family, and to serve in ministry in a way that honors Him. As an act of obedience to God, out of love for my husband and family, and a passion for lost people, I choose to be a good steward of my time. I can’t tell you what your incentive needs to be. Only you can determine your purpose. I seek to manage my time so that my family will enjoy my company. If I feel out of control, I get pretty grumpy. There is so little time to spend with my family and I want that time to be positive. 60