How are you feeling about the time behind you a few days into a new year?
If you’re like most busy Christian women juggling all-the-things in midlife + biz in 2024, I’m guessing even though you still have 356 days left in the year, you’re already feeling like it’s not gonna be enough to get it all done…
The bible reading plan with the Lord to stick with. The alone time with your hubby to prioritize. The long-distance connection with family and friends to maintain. The business with new clients to grow. The stewardship with resources to invest. The health and wellness to finally get under control. The passions to do what lights you up to finally pay attention to…oh and the dwelling and home to dedecorate, organized and maintain.
Yep, you’re carrying a lot…and most likely all (or most of it) is on your shoulders in both life + biz. No wonder you feel like there’s never enough time.
When you focus on the lack, are you tempted to try to save up leftovers for a rainy day, or to borrow from yesterday or tomorrow? I’m guessing you do, cuz that’s what I did too.
I was always striving, yet just barely surviving cuz there still was never enough!
But then God changed my time perspective such that I started to view it as a daily gift from Him that was exactly what I needed. I started to see the abundance of his provision and trusted that even when I didn’t think it would be enough to cover my needs, it always was.
Would you rather start thriving, completely satisfied cuz He always gives what you need?
Rather than a lack time perspective that says there’s never enough, believe God can (and will) provide all the time you need for what you’re called to this year…and beyond.
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Cor 9:8
6 Things Christians Should Pray Daily to Reorient your Time Perspective
A few weeks ago our pastor was preaching on the Lord’s Prayer when I had a life-shaping realization.
The first three prayer requests are very GOD-focused…
- That HIS name would be set apart as holy in our hearts
- That HIS kingdom would come in the here and now
- That HIS will would be done on earth as it is in heaven
Jesus could have stopped there cuz if all of this life is building towards His Kingdom anyway, He’s already covered all the bases.
But He doesn’t stop there. He goes on to add 3 more requests.
They seem to focus on us, but really are still all about HIM…
- That HE would provide bread for our daily needs.
- That HE would provide forgiveness for our daily sins.
- That HE would provide protection from our daily temptations.
Notice those are daily requests. Which means we are to pray this kind of prayer with all 6 requests on the daily. Do you?
But when our pastor focused in on the “give us this day our daily bread” section, he asked this life-shaping question…
“What is YOUR daily bread?”
We live in a modern-day society where few of us wake up wondering if we’ll have enough bread for the day or where we’ll get it from if we run out, right?
So it’s easy to breeze right past the request for our daily bread.
But that wasn’t the case for the original audience of the Sermon on the Mount who were dependent on bread as a staple in their daily diet.
Or for the children of Israel. You see, when they were in the wilderness, they literally had to depend on God alone to provide their daily bread and in their dependence is a lesson for us.
Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way, I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.’ Exodus 16:4
The Isrealites did not have Instacart to deliver their daily bread, let alone amber waves of grain to make their own like in Egypt.
In the world’s eyes, and probably even their own, they got notin.’
But in reality they got everything… cuz they got HIM.
A faithful God who not only can make bread rain from heaven, but who can and will sustain that provision not only for the 40 years they would wander in the wilderness, but for all of time for His people.
They were completely dependent on Him for their needs on the daily.
The people couldn’t save from today’s supply to have more for tomorrow- those who tried woke up to rot and maggots. They couldn’t even try to gather extra each day- those who gathered less had just enough as did those who gathered more.
They were only given exactly what they needed for that day.
So back to that question my pastor asked- what is the daily provision I’M dependent on Him for each day?
As soon as I heard the question, the answer was suddenly clear-
My TIME.
- You can’t save up time from yesterday for when your time bank is low.
- You can’t borrow from tomorrow cuz you need more for today.
We are dependent on Him to wake us up every morning and to lay another 24 hours in front of us.
So are you praying for Him to provide today for your daily needs, aka your time?
The rest of the world looks at the lack in how much time they have.
As believers, we look at the One who abundantly provides all the time we need.
3 steps to RETHINK your Time
- Assess your LACK TIME PERSPECTIVE.
Your thoughts become what you believe which direct your emotions and execution, ultimately steering your results. Hence, the STEER Belief Map I shared on Episode 203.
And since 95% of the time your thoughts are on repeat, including the negative ones based on fear and lack, no wonder you often stay stuck in the “there’s-never-enough-time” mentality.
It’s time to take those thoughts captive and get them on paper so you can finally change them.
- Believe in His ABUNDANT TIME PROVISION.
The world says a lot of untrue things- you don’t have enough time (like it’s all under your control), you can find time (like it’s just hiding under that one rock), you can stretch your time (like it’s just a matter of you making better use of it)…and when you listen to their voices, no wonder you have a lack time perspective.
But God’s word says otherwise and His word is trustworthy and true. And His promises are always Yes and Amen, so listen to the author of time, the One who exists beyond time and build your thoughts on the abundance He says He will provide.
- Step out in faith to REDEEM YOUR TIME.
If you’ve followed the STEER Belief Map up till this point, you know that we don’t stop with our wrong beliefs, whether they’re about your time or anything else in your life or biz- once you identify HIS TRUTH about who He is and what He says about the situation.
Use that as the foundation upon which to build new thoughts, emotions, which then leads to new execution aka actions…which creates new results.
Then you can confidently take one minute, one hour, one day at a time, knowing that unless He calls you home (which is your ultimate destination) that tomorrow He will give you another 24 hours.
But it all comes down to what you choose to believe…that’s why you need to RETHINK your Time.
Watch out, cuz this girl (WITH-God) is equipped with all she needs to do all she’s called to!
Look to Him instead of your calendar.
Look to His abundance instead of your lack.
Look to His faithfulness instead of your inconsistency.
And you will have all the time you need this year…and beyond.
Come join the party for conversation (and implementation) with other faith-centered women inside the REDEEM Her Time Community.
