As I loaded the laundry in between having gone to the gym, answering emails, writing a to-do list, and texting with my mom and sister, the Lord reminded me of the importance of doing our work well. I have a tendency to section off my days, overload them into with things to do, and place unrealistic expectations on my hours. With the growing need to constantly be connected through social media and email, I have struggled as a business owner to find balance, priorities, and purpose.  Whether you are a stay-at-home momma, a working woman, in school full-time, or a mixture of all three, this imbalance is experienced by almost every female on the earth. So much to do, so little time! As a matter of fact, I’ve said this statement to my sister so many times that she found a song to sing when I say this! Please, take a moment to breathe and laugh at this song. (Yes, this actually exists.) John Rowles explains so desperately in his song “If I Only Had Time” –so much to do, if I only had time, if I only had time, dreams to pursue, if I only had time, they’d be mine.

Time is of the essence everyday. There seem to be so many urgent things to accomplish with our hours that the important gets jumbled with the things that could wait and we are left in a tizzy at the end of the day. God is not limited by time constraints and to-do lists, so why are we? The 24 hour limit we have each day is a boundary that is a blessing and a reminder that we are not God. He is limitless, we are limited. He never sleeps, we need 7-8 hours. He can do it all, we can do a few things well. Knowing our place in this world and understanding the restraints on our days is not a cause for worry, but for freedom.

The balance, priorities, and purpose we struggle to find in our days can be refocused in this question: What will glorify the Lord? No task is too small for God. No daily deed is unworthy of worship. The tendency to compare what is on our to-do lists as women causes us to miss the glory of today. You, the stay-at-home momma, have an incredible privilege in your work. Every nose you wipe, dirty diaper you change, and meal you cook is of great worth to God and value to the Kingdom. Your children are a trust from God and a daily ministry. You, the working wife, have a great opportunity to reach those outside of the home and witness through your work ethic and life example. You, the full-time student, have the joy of learning, growing, and being prepared for what God has next.

To-Do Lists

Balance, priorities, and purpose fall into place when we stop looking to the world for affirmation and start looking to Christ to mold our to-do lists. You will be surprised at the amount of things He wants you to do in your day. Those unrealistic expectations you have that leave you restless into the night…Lay them at His feet. That feeling of unworthiness and struggle to believe that what you do is enough…Leave it at the cross. The comparison, the frustration, the loneliness…Hand them over to Christ who sacrificed His life so you could live in freedom.

Whatever God has called you to do today is worthy of worship. It is worthy of your best. Comparison will cause you to miss the joy of the gospel in the mundane. Wishing for tomorrow will rob this moment of life and peace. Right now is what God has given. Right now is  your duty.

As a business owner, my days are filled with answering emails, posting on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, writing blog posts, responding to all social media, and creating new products. All of that is mixed with doing the dishes, striving to care for my body and our baby in my womb, meeting my college girls for coffee, and loading/unloading/folding the laundry. There are so many things to do, and God has given the time to do what He has called me to. Every email, every pin I add to Pinterest, every post I put on Instagram are all holy to the Lord. When done for His glory and for His fame, they are my act of worship.

Colossians 3:23 challenges us with this:

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not men.” 

The Message version says it like this:

“Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God..”

Whatever (literally…anything and everything) God has called you to do this day, do it well. Leave the extras behind. Place your focus on Christ and let Him manage your to-do lists. God has a purpose in this day, let’s live it well for Him and with Him. Balance will come when we ask Him what is the most important thing to do. Prioritites will come when we saturate our hearts in His Word that brings life and joy. Purpose will come when we obey the commandments of Scripture and trust Him with our whole heart.

It’s not about getting a better planner, a maid to do your work, or checking off everything on the list. It’s about knowing Christ and making Him known, and doing that well in our daily tasks (as mundane as they can be).

God, make the mundane glorious! Transform our planners into acts of worship! Give us life and joy in the daily tasks that fill up our hours. We glorify Your name and bask in Your presence today. We hand You our to-do lists and ask You to show us what needs to be done and give us strength to do it well for the Kingdom. In Jesus name, Amen.

working well with you,

Gretchen