Here's my Calendar, God by Deborah Rutherford

One morning, during my Bible study, God whispered, “Deborah, there are no deadlines.” And with my wow came tears. There are no deadlines.

My schedule, goals, and dreams overwhelmed me. I had penciled in every moment on my planner. Pray, do Bible study, writing, appointments, errands, etc. Combined with family obligations and entertainment, I was stretching, overfilling, and floundering.

Have you felt this way? If you are like me, it can seem as if there are non-stop deadlines. The drudgery of keeping upstarts stealing our joy. We can become anxious, nervous, depressed, and short with others. When the schedule is so filled, we lose track of our purpose and calling. We end up depleted, defeated, and tired.

We often start with good intentions but find ourselves striving and pushing rather than waiting on God’s timing and planning.

But what does God say about all this?

It is essential to know that God already has plans for our lives. God’s plans are good plans, meant to prosper and not harm us, to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). We are to trust in God with all our hearts and lean not on our understanding but on God’s understanding. Then by submitting to God, He will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). God promises that He will instruct and teach. It is a beautiful truth that He will counsel us with His eye upon us (Psalm 32:8).

We must reassess our goals, deadlines, dreams, and desires periodically to see if they align with God’s plan for our life.

As I spent time reflecting, I realized it was time for me to re-evaluate, take back my schedule, and give it to God. This meant saying no in some areas so that I have a quality, not quantity, calendar. When God imparted to me that there are no deadlines with Him, He showed me what was most important. He is the one who will do the growing, increasing, stretching, and planning through the ebbs and flows, the curves, tunnels, and bridges of life.

Thankfully, God imparted to me that there are no deadlines with Him. He wants me to do my very best every day. I do not need to overdo my very best or get by with not my very best. But only my very best, not somebody else’s, but the one God gave me. My best starts with prayer and being still with God in the morning. I then commit my day to Him, giving my schedule, desires, and dreams, and watch the day unfold.

I am always surprised and in awe of what God can do when I get out of the way.

What will you do?

Will you hop on the narrow path, with acts of obedience, turning your day-to-day schedule over to God, our Master Planner? You can settle into a slow, still, quality lifestyle instead of a stressful, anxiety-ridden one that unsettles and overwhelms you. Will you let God immerse you with peace and joy as He carries your burden, giving you rest? Will you trust in the Lord with all your heart, walking straight God’s paths rather than crooked discouraged ones?

Envision our homes full of harmony, peace, and joy. Quality moments rolled in by God’s map. God grows us where we need to grow. Transforming us in His way. Maturing us where required, sharpening when needed. Our lives are under God’s wing of protection as He prepares us for heaven and eternity with Him. As God’s beloved, we know God works all good things together for our good (Romans 8:28).

Surrendering our calendar to God may be one of the hardest things we do. But it is better to trust and obey God, exchanging our to-do list for His better purpose and plans.

Scripture for trusting in God’s plan:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Psalm 32:8 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,^[a] for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 ESV

Deborah Rutherford is a Christian writer-blogger, poet, and Emmy recipient winner makeup artist, passionate about Jesus. Although raised in Los Angeles, California, she and her husband, Don, now call Georgia home. She enjoys a good cup of tea while journaling, Bible study, and as a beauty and wonder seeker finds her soul rest on nature walks with God. Deborah shares her transformative life of Jesus' healing and love on her blog at www.deborahrutherford.com, social media, books, and magazines. She is also on the writing teams for Kingdom Edge Magazine and Gracefully Truthful Ministries. You can find her devotional in the new book “Shepherd on Duty: Promises of God you Can Trust.”