Make Room
With so many things going on in our lives and what can feel like a boatload of demands, it’s pretty easy to get distracted. It’s not uncommon to be overwhelmed by all of the responsibilities of the day, especially if we don’t have any systems in place to aid with how we manage the time. If we’re not careful, we can effortlessly become consumed by our “things to do list” and all of the obligations on our calendars…leading us to a narrow, borderline selfish, lens on how we see each day. It’s as if we’re becoming slaves to our schedules vs. managing our schedules to not only be efficient, but also effective in the things that God would have us to do. When things start to feel like this, it’s important that we stop and take a reset. That we understand that when we move like this, it’s likely because we’re being motivated by something other than God. Yes, there are things that must get done…but there are others that really don’t need to be done…or they can be done by someone else (in most cases). Speaking for myself, something shifted when I began to truly see each day as the Lord’s day. Like most things in this life, it’s a choice. An act of faith, to be honest. A trust that says this is the day you’ve made - so, not only will I choose to rejoice and be glad in it - but I’m also going to look to you for direction on how to navigate this borrowed time you’ve given me. Having this mindset can really change how one approaches each day and all that it entails. It’s a good frame of mind to aid in not putting more on ourselves than is required and or fill our days with unnecessary noise and clutter. Will you always get it right? You may or may not. But, either way, to be on track more days than not is definitely moving in the right direction!
It is a beautiful thing to begin each day asking the Lord, “How would You like for me to spend the day ahead?” There’s something special that happens when we submit and surrender our desires to His; when we begin to ask questions (and actually listen). When we invite the Lord to show us His priorities when ours aren’t aligned. What on my list can wait? How can I point others to you today? Who would you like for me to interact with today? What conversations would you like me to have? And while you may not always get an immediate answer, it’s the invitation welcoming the Holy Spirit to point you in the right direction. It’s the mindset and heart posture to yield your day and follow the prompts as they come. And, if we’re honest, sometimes we get the answer but we try to avoid it or minimize it as if it we didn’t hear it…because that wasn’t on our list…
Sometimes we can be too set on doing something that we miss the impromptu pivot that’s right before us. We can unintentionally idolize our “things to do list” and abruptly end a conversation with someone (or sidestep it altogether) because we “have so much going on.” We can be so consumed by the pressure of performance that we miss out on genuine and organic “God moments” because we’re too consumed with what we have to do. That’s not to say that time-blocking and setting boundaries are bad things; they are in fact good (and actually better position us to have the ability to make room)! But when we leave space for God to move in our day-to-day we actually position ourselves to see more and more of Him in the mundane. Here are some suggestions on how to make room. The list, of course, isn’t exhaustive but it’s a solid start.
Pay attention to what you pay attention to and how it impacts your day (then make adjustments).
Identify your priorities and determine what’s important and/or urgent (then categorize accordingly).
Be intentional about how you start your day and prioritize that, daily (i.e., spend some time in AM prayer to set the tone and stage for the day).
Try not to over-schedule yourself. Give yourself some wiggle room to take the phone call, send the text, have the lunch, etc. that may not have been on your radar.
Pay attention to common time-wasters and begin removing them from your day.
A quick prayer to start off your day could sound something like this…Lord, thank you for another day. Another day with borrowed breath…filled with borrowed time. I surrender and submit this day to you. I declare that you are the Lord of my life. The Lord of my day. The Lord of my actions. The Lord of my plans. The Lord of my list of things to do. Guide me in the way that I should go. Make it clear. Increase my capacity where needed and slow me down when I’m moving too fast. I want to make room for the things and people that you’ve trusted me to steward and/or come in contact with today. I invite you to have your way in my day today, and always. Open my eyes and unclog my ears so that I may see and hear things the way that you desire for me to do so. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Also, when you have a moment, take some time to reflect on the QOTB and write down your responses, if you can (recommended).
What are my priorities and how do I manage them, daily?
In what ways do I already make room for God to move in my life? What’s something new I could implement?
Is my “things to do list” a modern day idol in my life?
What are some obvious time-wasters in my life and how can I better manage and/or remove them, entirely?
So many great things happen when we make room for the Lord to move through our lives. How we initiate, how we respond, and how we move…truly matters!
-kbg
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