to-do list - Jeannie Waters, Writer & Speaker

Are you a planner or a wisher? Eleanor Roosevelt said, “It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” ¹

I’m of the planner variety. I make lists beside my lists and, as my raised-on-the- farm husband says, “I grin like a mule eating briers” when I check off completed tasks. I enjoy the results for two reasons:

There’s one less item on the to-do list.
I see progress toward a goal.

Some people prefer detailed planning systems. Others jot an informal to-do list for the next day or refer to a mental list as time and energy allow.

When December 31^st arrives, we may have unmet goals, but if we plan instead of only wishing for improvement or progress, we’ll be more successful in meeting the goals we believe God wants us to accomplish. (In the last post, we considered Three Ways to Meet God-Given Goals .)

This time let’s consider planning our week’s agenda. Whether the to-do list is on paper or in our heads, planning propels us toward milestones and helps prevent the discouragement of missed targets.

In case you think I have this all figured out, I’ll confess. I don’t. Allow me to share three lessons God is teaching me.

white book page beside green potted plant

Three Lessons on Planning Our Weeks with God

1. **I’m learning to pray and read the Bible before I make plans.**

Prayer is a two-way communication blessing of speaking and listening. God promises to guide us. When we seek His wisdom first, He teaches us His ways.

Proverbs 16:9 reads, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Although using our minds to make plans is good practice, God knows the future and the plans He has for us. What seems right to us is limited by human understanding. In His sovereignty, God guides us toward His perfect plan.

2. I’m learning to hold my plans loosely and say,

If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.
James 4:15 ESV (All Scripture in the post is from the ESV.)

James instructs us to make this statement after he warns believers to avoid a prideful view of planning. After all—as he reminds us—we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. God does. His plans never fail.

3. I’m learning to trust God and avoid frustration when plans go awry.

When I’m busy, hours seem to melt away like a snowman on a warm day. When my to-do list lingers at day’s end, disappointment sometimes leads to frustration and anxiety, but God is teaching me to trust Him even then.

Although He expects us to use our gifts and opportunities, He’s more interested in our love for Him than our accomplishments.

Consider the acrostic I composed as a reminder to plan my weeks with God and thank Him at the end of each day—for accomplished tasks and those I transfer to the next day.

P. L. A. N. the Week with God

P Pray throughout the day and enjoy an ongoing conversation with God.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, emphasis mine

The prayer life of Jesus wasn’t limited to morning quiet times or red lights. When we pray without ceasing and pause from activity to listen, the Holy Spirit directs us through the day.

When we include God in our activities and seek His guidance, we can experience His peace whether we’ve made progress on our list or not.

When we include God in our activities and seek His guidance, we can experience His peace whether we’ve made progress on our list or not. Share on X

L Learn the Word and listen to the Author.

When we memorize Scripture, we can use it to fight spiritual battles as the Holy Spirit brings a passage to mind. God’s Word equips us to stand against the enemy who attempts to thwart our plans to serve God.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

A Acknowledge your need for God and ask for His help.

The following verses remind us of our need:

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Proverbs 9:10

N Notice the needs of others.

Although we strive to meet goals and stay on schedule, God sometimes puts someone in our path who needs our help, our time, or encouragement. We don’t want the busyness of our agenda to blind us to “divine interruptions.”

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.
1 Peter 4:10

Planning our weeks with God strengthens our relationship with Him, and the results far outweigh wishing for success or improvement.

Please share how you’re planning with God this year or tell us about a time a “divine interruption” changed your day. Your comments help all of us.

For thought-provoking words on priorities and to-do lists, read Katherine Pasour’s post, What’s on Your List? .

^{1 https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/eleanor_roosevelt_379411}

It’s okay for a grandmother to pray for her granddaughter to catch a butterfly, right? I hope so, because I did. Our budding scientist received a butterfly net as a birthday gift and she was trying hard to catch one of the insects while spending the afternoon with me. Efforts at her house had failed.

She wanted so desperately to capture one and then release it. That’s why I prayed. I wanted her to be delighted by the fragile and beautiful creation she longed to study.

This precious girl first swooped the net in the air as she chased the winged creatures around the yard. Then, she concentrated on a wiser approach. She tiptoed around the lantana bush and carefully slipped her net over the unsuspecting insects when they landed on a flower. Six butterflies managed to escape Houdini-style, unharmed.

Finally, the aimed whoosh of the net and persistence yielded success! The spotted orange butterfly didn’t fly quite fast enough. Victory for our girl! She transferred the insect to a bug keeper and observed it through a magnifying glass. After sketching him in her science log and admiring him, she opened the container and offered him freedom. (Had I not known her gentle nature and love of all created things, I wouldn’t have encouraged this effort.)

As I reflected on my granddaughter’s diligent search and the thrill of discovery, I thought about what I seek each day. As I pursue my dreams, check off my to-do list, and attempt to steward the gifts and responsibilities God gave me, what am I trying to capture? What do I want most?

By way of confession, in recent days my major aim became accomplishing tasks on that never-ending to-do list. Frustration and anxiety filled the quiet places of my heart because I couldn’t seem to get things done.

Although I prayed and read my Bible, I became distracted by everything that fluttered by and failed to set my aim on what mattered most—my walk with Jesus. At the end of each day, my net was empty. There was nothing to show for my efforts.

God promises His help in Isaiah 43:13.

For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.’

But I wasn’t experiencing guidance and peace. I wondered, “Why not?”

My loving Lord reminded me to seek Him—not just the answers to my prayer requests–but Him. His presence.

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

–1 Chronicles 16:11

I wanted God to capture my attention, my thoughts, and my heart. I longed for awareness of His presence as David did in the wilderness when he penned these words:

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

–Psalm 63:1

We can pray throughout the day wherever we are, but yesterday, I needed time alone with Him. A lot of time. After asking a dear friend to pray for me, I cleared my calendar and spent the day reading the Word, talking to God, and listening for His voice. I took deep breaths, sang His praises, knelt to pray, and prayed as I walked.

I pictured Him as the Shepherd He is, guiding and protecting me. Instead of following my plan, I began to seek His. He restored my soul and allowed me to capture His love, His peace, His guidance, and most of all, His presence.

Does daily life sometimes distract you from what you want to grasp? Please share the ways God leads you to focus on Him.

Tag: to-do list

Plan Your Weeks with God