The calendar is not God.

Do not boast about tomorrow,

for you do not know what a day may bring.

Proverbs 27:1

I am a planner. Calendars and agendas are the tools I use to build my life, organize the chaos, get stuff done, and ultimately find some satisfaction in my labor and in my down time. This is not necessarily a bad thing unless I turn the tool into a functional idol. And unfortunately I do at times. When all my calendars, clocks, printouts, and plans fail to deliver satisfaction, it is generally because I have expected from my planning what only God can do. Many is the time that a plan for an hour, a day, a week, and even a year goes completely off track. I cannot know what a day will bring to me. It may be “spot on” my schedule. It could go awry.

Mature Christian insight has taught me to flex my schedules and plan with parameters. I’ve learned to pray as I scroll through my calendar and notes for each day. Every day I have in this life is first lived to bring glory and praise to my Creator as I hope to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and to others in what I say and in what I do. Each day is lived to love God and love people. The agenda must always flow first from this driving value and hope. And when God is the director of my day, and not my iCal lists and notes, I am truly content to serve Him first.

Lord,

May each calendar notification that pops up on my phone, computer, or in my memory today remind me that my life is in the control of You, Who knows tomorrow when I never will. May I leave each event, meeting, task, and “to do list” in Your control and enjoy life for Your glory!

Amen