Structure and Set-aside Times

Who is this who comes up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved? (Song of Songs 8:5).

Now, let’s get to the practical stuff. How do I live a lifestyle of leaning on my Beloved? I have the desire, but something needs to change. I have to live differently if I want to see Him live and move in my life and family. The first thing I want to suggest is having what I call set-aside times. Here is an excerpt from my blog earlier this year:

What I keep hearing today is that the work of life -- the laundry, etc. -- has to be done, but it's not what I was made for. So while I need to get it done, I don't need to structure my life around it. Instead, I need to schedule it around my life! I am made to be a worshipper. So the very first priority of my day is to spend time with God, and then everything else. Even in caring for my children, my first priority is to teach them to worship God. If these are truly my priorities, then that should be reflected in my everyday schedule.

So today I changed around my schedule to make room for going to RHOP more often. Also, I let the girls get up earlier so we could have worship time together while I fed Cedar. We read from Jesus Wants All of Me, which is the kids' version of My Utmost for His Highest. Then we read Matthew 6:33, 34. I told them about how God takes care of us. (I needed to hear that today too, as our financial situation is a bit strained this month.) We prayed together and sang a made-up song about God taking care of us. Then they read books on my bed and we listened to the Bible on CD while I finished feeding Cedar. After that, we got dressed, ate breakfast, I checked my email and put in some laundry, and we went to RHOP. I refused to let myself stress about how everything else will get done. Today we've put the most important things first. God will take care of the rest.

So first of all, write down your schedule. How do you actually live your days? Not how you wish you were living, but what you really do with your time. Be honest and unashamed. This is between you and God, and He already knows better than you what you do with your time.

Now, set that aside for a moment and pull out your Excel spreadsheet. You are going to begin to structure your life. Put in the “big rocks” first, and the little things will fit in around the edges. First, put in your set-aside times for God. Perhaps a bit of time in the morning before the kids wake up, or during nap time. Then add in the givens, such as meal times and nap times. Put down any family time, date night with husband, Bible study times, etc. Now fit in the other things, like chores, free time, and other activities. I have provided my schedule as an example. Keep in mind, my life rarely looks exactly this way. But this structure allows me to relax, knowing that there is room for everything. Each day I submit it to God for any changes and to add, move or subtract anything that needs to be modified to flow with His plan for my day and week.