Filling My Day

There are really only two things that fill my day. Thoughts and actions.

There, that's simple enough. I have time for both.

I wish.

Each day the same dilemma surfaces. It starts with the buzz of the alarm clock and the inner conflict of choosing between the snooze button and quiet time with God. It continues all day with thoughts that will either move me to action or die trying. There is work to be done and rest to be desired. Demands on my time require filing to be done. "Want" box or "need" box? My boxes, my husband's boxes, and of course the kids each have boxes. Once I have filed, though, to what do I devote my time? Inevitably there are additional "wants" and "needs" that will pop up if you happen to have extended family, friends, neighbors, a church family, kids in school, an employer...I can't go on, but I know there are more.

Sound familiar? It should, it's life.

There are two things that fill my day and I believe there are two things I need if I'm going to make it through that day. God and a game plan.

Notice I listed God first. He is all I really need. He created me and called me and has a purpose for my life. He knows best when it comes to my day and how I should fill it.

So, my game plan? Give each day to Him first! He should always be my first appointment of the day. And before any demands or choices find me I need to meet with Him and surrender my day to His game plan.

I've fooled myself before (often enough and for long enough that I'm thoroughly embarrassed) into thinking it was fine to fit God into my schedule. "I'm not a morning person." "I don't have as much time in the morning." "I think better in the evening." Or just penciling Him in to a time slot I happen to have free.

I've even fooled myself into thinking that it was righteous of me just to be spending time with God. But here's the deal. That is arrogant. I need to fit myself into God's schedule. When did Jesus have His quiet time alone with God? Oh gee, first thing in the morning before He was met with any demands of the day! Who am I that I think I can make it through a day and seek God at the end of it? It would be like trying to run a marathon and planning on getting in shape as soon as I'm finished. In other words, it doesn't work.

Here's my desire. I want to train myself to give God the first appointment of my day. And it will require training, Gary, if you knew how much I loved my snooze button, you'd be jealous. And then I want to give Him the authority to plan the rest of my day. He's going to anyway and I'd much rather be a willing participant. I want to surrender each day to His will. I want to be listening to Him, to seek Him in every decision I make about my time. And He deserves nothing less of me because He is God, and that is my game plan.