Write it down. Accomplish it. Check it off. Move on to the next. Done. Done. And done.

Does your day ever feel like this, sister? An ongoing merry go ‘round of chores, activities, responsibilities, and tasks? A to-do list that gets (mostly) completed today, only so you can make a new one, and “take it again from the top!”, tomorrow?

And the schedule. Don’t get me started on the schedule! I am an organized girl by nature. I lay out plans, make schedules, watch the clock, and know what time all the things need to get done. It allows me to run a tight ship and keeps me efficient in the execution of my tasks.

It also holds me prisoner at times—- in a position where I’m bowed down to the likes of my schedule, instead of bowed to the will to the Lord.

Being a stay-at-home mom, it’s easy to get into the routine of rearranging our days however we see fit, whether that means making an elaborate stay-at-home mom schedule, or just going with the flow— saying yes to the things we want to do, and saying no to those we don’t.

But, if the Lord is to be the one directing our steps (Proverbs 16:9), do we need a stay-at-home mom schedule? How can we be mindful of our to-do list and the Lord’s promptings?

SAYING YES TO THE LORD

We know from various places in Scripture that all wisdom comes from the Lord. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” In our reverence of Him, we yield to His omniscience, understanding that our ways aren’t His ways, and our thoughts aren’t His thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). If this is in fact true, then we can rest assured that our days can be entrusted to His care and oversight.

Whether our quiet time is in the morning or at some other point during the day, there is beauty in beginning the day with surrendered hands, saying, “Alright, Lord, what do you have for me today?” But, hear this— not only asking Him, but also being ready to listen, receive, and obey.

Will we still have a to-do list ready to go? Probably. Will we still have some solid things on our schedule, like school for the kids, cooking meals, and appointments? Of course. But, in seeking the Lord first and foremost, we’re more likely to allow Him to lead the way as we go about our day, and more likely to heed His promptings as He leads us in the direction of other opportunities that may arise.

Give the Lord a verbal “good morning,” daily. Then, listen for His reply.

SAYING NO TO WHAT’S NOT HIS PLAN

Saying no can be tough. We have thoughts. Plans. People to see and things to do. We’re asked to join this committee, that ministry, go on a field trip, make cookies for the bake sale…

And we can do all of those things. We can find the time, rearrange our schedules, and add it to our to-do lists— all in the name of serving and being helpful. We were asked by someone, and we responded. Simple as that, right?

Yet, what did the Lord have to say about it? Did we even inquire of Him?

What would you say if I told you that God cares whether or not you bake those cookies? I truly believe He does. You see, if He is telling you to do something different with your time, but you ignore those promptings and instead make the cookies, then you’re being disobedient. He desires obedience over your serving in a particular way that is your will.

You can do a million great things for others today, sister. But if what you’ve done isn’t what the Lord intended for you to do, then you haven’t redeemed your time well. In your mind, it may not make sense as to why He would tell you to not join a particular ministry at church, but He’s got plans for you, and that ministry may just get in the way of His future purposes for you.

This is why we truly need to approach each decision with prayer and discernment so we can be mindful of the will of God.

Saying no is always a magnificent thing if it means we’re saying yes to the Lord instead.

A STAY-AT-HOME MOM SCHEDULE

I have sometimes likened being a stay-at-home mom to running a business. You are your own boss, you create your schedule, and determine the tasks that need to be executed.

While this can be true to an extent, what I now see a little more clearly is that this mindset sets us up to be the master of our own ship, tightly wound around our own will for the day. Doing so leaves us less flexible to walk, parent, and manage our homes in the Spirit. However, I do think there is value in having a plan for the flow of our days so that we don’t become idle or waste our time— neither of which is honoring to the Lord.

So what gives? Schedule or no schedule? To-do list or no list? Generally speaking, I believe we can lay out our plans and tasks, AND give attention and thought to the Lord. BUT– attention and thought to the Lord needs to come FIRST.

Here’s a very general example of a stay-at-home mom schedule. This is mainly meant to show you how and when you could incorporate some important points of meeting with the Lord throughout the day. Adjust it with your personal routines, meetings, and activities, as needed!

GENERAL STAY-at-home mom schedule

Morning Tasks

Wake: Sit quietly for a few minutes before the Lord.
Pray: Be thankful and seek His face.
Quiet Time: Start your day by meditating on His Word.
{Insert your morning routine here}: Coffee, breakfast, shower, get the kids ready, errands, etc!
Ask the Lord: What is your desire for me today?
{Be prepared to adjust your plans according to His will.}

Afternoon Tasks

Lunch: If your kids are home, sit down and enjoy lunch with them!
Nap/Quiet Time: For you, and the kids! This is a great time to be still before the Lord.
Pray/Clean-up: Tidy the kitchen and dining room, wash dishes, and minor clean up of common rooms. Pray while doing these tasks, seeking the Lord in the reflection of your day so far (How is my day going? How has my attitude been? Is there anything I should change for the rest of my day?)
Ask the Lord: What do you have for me next, today?
{Be prepared to adjust your plans according to His will.}

Evening Tasks

Dinner Prep: Use this time to listen to a sermon, the audio Bible, or an uplifting podcast while you cook.
Dinner: Sit down with your family. So many blessings come from time around the dinner table.
Pray/Reflect Together: Use dinner time to reflect on how each of you has seen God work in your lives throughout the day.
Family Devo: Spend time in the Word together. Pray together.
Bedtime for Kids: Pray over each one!
Spouse Time: Spend time with your spouse after the kiddos are asleep!
Ask the Lord: In what ways were You glorified through my actions today? Ask Him to convict your heart of any areas in which you need to change.
{Be prepared to listen in humility and humbly bow to His will tomorrow!}

As I said, this is a very general outline for a stay-at-home mom schedule! You will need to fill in the blanks with your life-specific tasks and responsibilities, but I pray you can see how easy it is to incorporate time before the Lord throughout your entire day. If you’re diligent and mindful to have constant communication with Him, your day can be tremendously blessed (and re-routed at times!) as you submit to Him.

focus on what matters most \\ nix what doesn’t!

Having a stay-at-home mom schedule that glorifies the Lord means that your schedule makes room for Him. It’s impossible to do so if you’re wasting time on frivolous activities that pull your attention away from the Lord’s plans for you. Download the Time Wasters Log & Prayer set, and start redeeming your time well! Fill out the form below.

YIELDING OUR STAY-AT-HOME MOM SCHEDULE TO THE LORD

Relinquishing our control over our perfectly planned days becomes simpler when our eyes are focused on the Lord and His purposes. Our stay-at-home mom schedule doesn’t have to be rigid. Most certainly, it shouldn’t rule us.

Psalm 90 gives us a few things to remember when we’re tempted to let it do so:

#1: WE CAN (and should) REDEEM OUR TIME WELL.

“So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

— Psalm 90:12 NKJV

The world can pull us this way and that, distracting us with every shiny opportunity available. We’re told to live it up and live life to the fullest. Yet, the Word tells us that we should number our days. There's an implication in this Psalm written by Moses that reminds us that life is frail– but a breath– and it should not be wasted on frivolous things. We’re to live with eternity in mind, which means our focus is on storing up treasure in heaven, not on earth.

The Lord will give us wisdom on how to keep the main thing the main thing.

Pointless striving, pursuits, and activities that yield no fruit in the Lord’s will for our lives must be disregarded if we are to walk out the good works that the Lord has prepared beforehand for us (Ephesians 2:10). This doesn’t mean that there’s no time for fun, entertainment, or relaxation. We just need to be aware of whether or not the things we’re choosing to do at a particular moment or on a particular day are distracting us from the Lord’s work in our lives.

It’s not easy to get in the habit of saying no to seemingly good and helpful things; however, the more we seek the Lord for His wisdom, the more clarity and peace we’ll have.

Our stay-at-home-mom schedule should be one that allows us to redeem our time well.

Grab a pen and paper, and sit down. Spend time before the Lord asking Him what you can add to or remove from your day in order to bring Him the most glory.

#2: WE CAN SEEK HIM (NOT OUR TO-DO LIST) FOR OUR CONTENTMENT.

“Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!”

— Psalm 90:14 (NKJV)

It’s tempting to allow the completion of our to-do list or stay-at-home mom schedule to bring us contentment. Accomplishment brings us an air of satisfaction, prompting us to give ourselves the proverbial pat on the back. We have the mindset ingrained in us to, “Go. Achieve. Do more. Strive. Get it done! Do more tomorrow!”

While there is nothing wrong with setting goals, working hard, not quitting, and seeing a task to completion, as Christian women, our eyes, minds, and hearts must be focused on the Lord in these things. Striving for the sake of striving, or for money, fame, power, or clout is not our lane. We’re meant to walk step in step with the Lord so we can know when He is telling us to, “Go. Do more”; or sometimes, “Stop.”

There will always be something to get done— whether that “something” is a big goal, washing the next round of dishes, or doing the 5th load of laundry that day. And as good as it may feel to cut the lights on a cleaned-up kitchen at the end of the night, our satisfaction cannot be found there. Our satisfaction must be in the Lord— in His mercy, His love, His will for our lives— just downright in Him.

Make room in your stay-at-home mom schedule to actively seek Him (through prayer, the reading of His Word, or worship, to name a few) for the contentment only He can bring.

#3: WE CAN ALLOW THE LORD TO ESTABLISH AND DIRECT OUR WORK.

“And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands.”

— Psalm 90:17 (NKJV)

Earlier I mentioned that saying no to what’s not in the Lord’s will for us allows for the space to say yes to His plans. Although saying no may seem to be an impossible task at times, we can pray for the beauty and the favor of the Lord to be upon us, as Moses did in Psalm 90:17. What could possibly yield more contentment, peace, and perspective over our lives than the beauty of the Lord?

We have to let Him in, sister. Allow Him to fill in the pages of our planners and calendars. Release our control over our blocked-out time commitments each day. Again, we can make the plans, but we must have a heart ready to humbly bow and yield to His directions if our plans don’t match His. Focusing on His perfection and beauty prepares our hearts for that willingness.

He, in fact, wants to establish the work of our hands. And He will, if we’re willing to open the fists so tightly gripping our desire to complete our to-do list and live out our perfectly-timed schedule. Dare I say, we risk the chance of missing out on the good works He has prepared for us when we’re too committed to completing our own “good” works.

RELATED: 7 TRUTHS ABOUT GOOD WORKS

The interruption from the impromptu phone call from a hurting sister; the need to take extra time to speak life into your child; the little things that “put us behind”— could it be that we’re to walk out a good work from the Lord in those moments? Instead of immediately writing off the unplanned event as a distraction, we can pray a quick prayer when these things arise, asking the Lord if this is something He has for us to engage in right now, and the wisdom to do so.

Daily come before the Lord, seeking His direction in your schedule, from one task to the next.

LED BY THE SPIRIT, OR OUR TO-DO LIST?

Sister, we don’t want to miss something that’s important to the Lord. Remember, He’s the one on the throne. Following the Lord means that we’ve turned from our desire to be the lord of our own lives, and instead, we allow Him to be on the throne of our hearts as the Lord of our lives.

The beauty of it all is that He wants to walk through this life with us. He wants to see us walk out our good works and lead us in how to do so. He wants us to use our brains and our uniqueness in our day-to-day tasks, not be His robotic puppets. However, in all of this, He desires for us to choose wisely, and choose Him.

Realize this: by NOT saying no to the things that aren’t in His will for us, and choosing to remain so tightly woven to our to-do list and stay-at-home schedule– these decisions put us in a place where we become robotic puppets, enslaved to our own devices.

So, are you led by the Spirit or by your to-do list, sister? Is your to-do list so pressing that it leaves no room for the Spirit’s promptings to direct you throughout the day? I encourage you to evaluate your heart, actions, and thoughts. Better than that, ask the Lord to search your heart and reveal His truth to you.

We can make room in our day for the Spirit’s promptings, leadings, and new directions; the unexpected. It just takes a decision; a bowed heart; eyes that long to focus on things above. It takes a love for Him that supersedes a sense of accomplishment; and wisdom that reminds us of the frailty of life and the need to redeem the time well.

At times we can feel as though our to-do lists are everlasting, but the fact is, only He is.