Picture this: you are scrolling on YouTube and you are recommended to watch some vlogger or influencer’s morning routine, so you watch it. They reveal an elaborate and detailed schedule for their morning routine, starting with waking up at 4:30 am every morning, then they use bathroom, drink water, make their coffee, read for an hour / meditate, work out, write, make & eat breakfast, and get ready for the day, all before 7:30 AM.

How does that morning routine or daily routine make you feel? Does it make you wonder how to also set a schedule or routine for the whole day? What about night time?

Are you the type of person that likes to have their to-do lists or schedules in your mind and do not know where to start? Or maybe have you looked at your calendar and you get overwhelmed with everything that needs to get done that you don’t know what to do for the day then you get paralyzed and not do anything at all? I (Lianna) used to be like that. If I am being honest, I sometimes can still get like that if I am not careful.

But, we as Christians have a commandment to follow – to glorify God in all that we do. However, we forget to align with God in the midst of our schedules because we get so caught up in the focus about us and having the right schedules.

For us, I (Lianna) is the more rigid one with the calendar. I like to stay on schedule and have a good general idea for how much energy we have to accomplish the tasks for the week and for each day. I (David) is the more relaxed one when it comes to calendars and scheduling, but I also do like to know what the day holds and I enjoy getting things done. However, I also like some spontaneity in my day. 

For instance, I love to work outdoors, so if there is a break time or I feel like we can move some tasks around on the schedule, I will start a new project or work on something out in the yard or garage. The bad news is I can get so into working outside that 30 minutes can easily turn into three hours of time gone by and the good and bad news is that I usually get a lot done outside, but not the tasks on the calendar. 

*Being honest here, we actually had a disagreement the other day on this subject before we began writing this blog post. We wanted to share with you these hard, real-life moments to show that we are imperfect and do not have everything down to a tee.*

We aren’t subscribing to the idea that you have to do 15 million things in your morning routine all before 8 AM. Or, have your schedule jam-packed like sardines. Or if you do not get everything done, you have failed. We created an easy-to-follow blog post on setting up an intentional morning routines, so click through here if you want more.

We are wanting to challenge you if you are disorganized, frantic, or do not know what each week or day holds, but we are going to do this in a realistic and stress-free way, while aligning with God and His will. And, you do not have to wait until next year to begin. You could be reading this in June and you can still make a change to create a loose, organized schedule or what you would like your ideal day to look like while partnering with God.

 

As Christians, why is setting a schedule or plan important?

As Christians, as believers of Jesus Christ, we are called to use the time we are gifted with and to not only use it but to spend it wisely, by setting a routine, planning a schedule, or writing down your God-given, ideal day. We are not to be focused on ourselves and our own kingdom, but to focus on furthering God’s kingdom and giving Him the glory, while living our lives and days to the fullest and learning and becoming more like Jesus and His righteousness.

Here are a few more verses that you can read and do further study on (they are all so good!):

• “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33

• “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” – Ephesians 5:15-17

• “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” – Colossians 3:23-24

• “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:10

 

Ask yourself 3 questions

Before setting up any schedule, routine, or plan for your week or day, you have to figure out these things:

1. What areas you want to grow more in or improve on?

2. Why?

3. What are some things you would like to cut out or do less of?

While asking yourself these three questions, remember that God wants to be a part of your schedule and it is through Him that establishes our steps. See Proverbs 16:9, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

{Side note: if you do not know HOW to begin planning or setting up your schedules or build better habits and routines, we will have a huge blog post coming out soon on how to start planning your schedule and all the aspects of your life that you can improve or work on with God.}

We know we want to plan and schedule in a more realistic way – remember what we said in the beginning of this post? God never meant for us to live in a fast-paced, always busy, hustle, be a part of team never sleep, and wake up at 4 AM (if that’s you, all the more power to you). 

However, when we begin to live that crazy, jam-packed life, especially the pressure of having the perfect morning routine or solid busy the whole day with no down time or time to spend with the Lord or have Sabbath, then we begin to worship our schedules and agendas more than God. 

I know we can all struggle with that, especially I (Lianna) struggled with making sure MY schedule was going smoothly that I would forget God. But, we are called as Christians to remember our Lord God each and every moment, so we do not forget Him and start to live for ourselves.

 

To ensure that won’t happen to you, that is why we are sharing 3 ways to include God into your schedule before, during, and after.

3 ways to include God & Align with His Will in your schedule, goals, & habits

1. Pray

Before you begin with anything, pray to God. Ask Him what you should do and how to do it, especially if you are feeling overwhelmed and feeling the full weight of your responsibilities, to-do’s and goals. Pray and ask for help on being more consistent and follow through on your plans and schedules.

Yes, God cares about what you pray about, even the little things like your schedule or calendar. You can also ask Him to reveal if there’s something that is not of Him that needs to be taken out of your schedule – this is a humbling reminder that we aren’t in charge, but God is. Also, remember to give time and space for Him to SPEAK to you – it can be through sitting in silence, listening to worship music, or writing down what He speaks into your heart. 

You can also pray during your planning on your schedule as well as after as you are doing those tasks or reaching those goals and habits throughout the day. That is a great way to remind yourself that you are not in control, it’s not about you, or that you are not doing this in your own strength but in the strength of the God Almighty.

 

2. Make God your biggest priority on your daily or weekly schedule.

As you are going over your tasks, to-do’s, goals, or habits you want to reach and get done, here’s your humble reminder to include God. That does not mean to leave Him on the back burner or He gets the time you have leftover AFTER everything is accomplished for the day. 

For instance, for your mornings, rather than being on your phone for the first hour of waking, why don’t you use that quiet time to read the Word, read a devotional, pray, journal, listen to worship music, or give thanks (all of these are suggestions – do not feel like you have to do them all). Even if you haven’t always put God as your biggest priority, even though it may feel challenging or maybe even a bit sacrificing on your part, it’s never not too late to begin now. 

We understand if you slept in or got too busy doing something else or in a crazy season with kids, chores, or work, and that’s where we say you can always squeeze in 5-15 minutes with God during those free pockets of time throughout the day. God knows your heart and knows your intentions, so hear us when we say that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). This can go along with making church a priority or bible study groups are priority.

 

3. Make room to pour God’s love into others, even when it’s not part of the schedule.

This is a huge tip in which I (Lianna) struggled with for a very long time. I’ve always been the type of person that would jam-pack my day for everything I wanted and needed to get done and not have time for anyone or talk on the phone to catch up or to listen to someone who needed to talk. But, here’s the thing: God is going to use His people to do good works and pour His love into those who need it the most, but how can we do that if we do not make room to do this? 

Either way, the miracles of God will not be stopped, even if we do not make room – He will make it happen with us or without us. Our lives and our schedules are not for us or about us – it’s about giving God the glory by reaching out and being there for our church, friends, neighbors, and people we just met. Even if we do not get things done for one day or another day, we are still meant to follow the purpose and mission of God through our schedule and through being loose and flexible. 

Obviously, we aren’t saying to abandon all your responsibilities or let go of a very important task in the name of love. We are saying to remember to make room and space for pouring the love of God by being aware and flexible with your time, like getting the task done first before calling up the friend who is going through a loss.

 

Keep in mind that while there are different & changing seasons, there is a same God

In all of this, we just want to remind you that we are imperfect people and we mess up and sleep in, have bad days, and don’t always get it right. We fail to remember God in the midst of our busy days and schedules. Yes, there are seasons where you are less busy and have more time for God and be in prayer and there are seasons where you are super busy, like moving, starting a new job or going to school, having a baby, planning a wedding and adjusting to marriage, and so much more.

But, God is our constant in the midst of our changing schedules and plans. So, let’s plan to remember God and continue to grow in our faith and in every other aspect of our lives.

In all reality, we can talk about this subject forever because we LOVE this topic of putting God first and aligning Him and His will with your schedule. Putting your words into action can be the tipping point of the difference between YOUR schedule and GOD’S schedule. Take the leap of faith and include God in your life and actions because it can make all the difference. The difference is when the mindset of YOUR schedule partners with GOD’S schedule and goals for the year and for your life.  

If you are the type of person who loves to keep your day and things you have to do in your mind, or you have the perfect color coded calendar, we hope and pray that this blog post has taught you to not overcommit and not stress yourself out to the max every moment of the day.

We are honestly working on this as we tend to do too much for the day or week. We can only do better from here on out, and God is teaching us so much on trusting Him with our days and our schedules. Because, the truth is that He is in full control, not us. So, we can do this together one day at a time, living out our mission, according to God’s word.   

Resources for Blog Post:

1. Listen to the episode, Ultimate 2023 Planning – 3 ways to partner with God while planning your schedule, goals, & habits

2. ESV Study Bible by ESV Bibles

 

Thank you for reading,

 

David & Lianna Bond