"Not to us, Lord, not to us but to Your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness."
- Psalm 115: 1
Mondays are tough, am I right?
You've come out of a weekend high (the reward for all of your striving during the week before) only to get launched into another week of striving. Your schedule may not be Monday to Friday or even 9 to 5, but I'm sure you can relate at least on some level.
When I woke up this morning, I reached for the familiar: my routine. From this hour to this hour, I will accomplish x. After that, I will accomplish y. But then my morning routine took a detour and suddenly my schedule and plans were completely out of wack. I was anxious about falling behind and beat myself up for being a terrible planner.
I'm not at all trying to say that routines are bad. For the most part, they are really, very good. But I have to admit that when my time this morning was unexpectedly eaten up, my mind immediately went to what to cut out. Naturally, the very first thing I thought to sacrifice was my time with the Lord. And yet, the second I considered it, a still, small voice inside me simply said, "Me, first."
I won't lie. Initially, I played it off because it legitimately stressed me out. It meant I would be even more behind. I thought that if I ignored the voice, I could get right to work, but it kept gently tapping my shoulder and drawing me in. Thankfully, I was graciously convicted to reach for my Bible. I'm so glad that I did. My anxious thoughts crumbled when I started to read God's word.
It was music to my ears and it will be music to yours as well.
He is already aware of your schedule. He knew about your today before it ever happened. He already knows about what's to come before you even have an inkling about what's on the horizon. He knows when we've been interrupted or when we haven't managed our time as well as we should have. He knows when we've been misunderstood. He knows when we've been through a traumatic experience or a very painful situation.
Nothing is a surprise to Him.
Routines are good and they're important - don't get me wrong. It's when we let our achievements and routines define who we are that they become an idol and prevent God from moving in our lives. Mankind celebrates routine and the number of things a person can accomplish in an hour, in a day, in a year, in a life. But God wants our hearts. He celebratesa willing heart more than a completed task list.
"For the eyes of theLord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him" (2 Chronicles 16:9). I am more convinced than ever that all He is really looking for is a heart that fears Him and a willing person to move over and give Him some space to move. He may have personally nudged me to redirect my focus from what I needed to accomplish today to His presence, but He is also inviting you to do the same. He wants us to remember that He alone is in control. At the end of the day, He is our ultimate boss and judge. That means that He has the ultimate say over our schedules . . . our routines. He is simply asking for permission to access your calendar.
Let that sink in. He longs for your attention more than your achievements. Can you even believe how much freedom there is in that simple fact? It's unbelievably incredible.
Lord, thank You for the precious reminder today that You are in control. I surrender my schedule and my will to You. My heart is Yours, Lord. This life means nothing without You. Come and do what You alone can do. Let not my will, but Yours be done.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
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