Last time we talked about rethinking what faithfulness looks like. And if you missed it, you can read about it here: I Stopped Trying to do More for God. Once I stopped believing I had to keep adding more to prove my devotion to God, another question surfaced:
If I’m not trying to fit more into every day… what am I aiming for instead?
Something I’ve learned is a lot of things in life can sound… well, oversimplified. Not wrong, but also not complete. A touch of nuance which can easily be overlooked.
For example, we hear it all the time: Seize the day! Make every moment count. Squeeze every drop out of life.
The very phrases meant to inspire can also hold with it the unspoken pressures of fitting everything in and being more productive.
The heartbeat behind these phrases is good. We don’t want to waste the life God has given us. But when you’re already carrying more than your current season can hold, “squeezing more in” doesn’t feel inspiring. It feels exhausting before the day has even started.
For years, I thought the answer was finding a better planner, a better system, or becoming more rigid in my discipline. If I could just organize everything perfectly, surely that becomes the system to help me finally fit it all in.
The thing is, God never asked us to maximize every minute. He calls us to be faithful with what He’s entrusted to us for that season. Some seasons carry a greater capacity than others. And even within the same season, some days hold more margin than others. Wisdom recognizes the difference.
The goal isn’t to do more. It’s to become more aligned with what God is asking of you today. There’s a difference.
My planner began to shift. I stopped trying to chicken scratch something into every minute because I realized not every moment had to be productive. I began letting white space show on the page without feeling guilty for the margin. Ironically, those margins became some of my favorite places to jot down prayers, ideas, and the little things God was teaching me.
Instead of being depleted by my days, I began receiving something from them. I became more present with God, my family, and even myself. I lingered over coffee a little longer. I listened to the birds on my walks. I watched dragonflies zipping by. I started finishing the projects that truly mattered, instead of chasing countless ones that didn’t. The striving slowly gave way to peace.
I’ve talked about this verse in my other blog posts, Psalm 90:12, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” This Psalm is a prayer of Moses reflecting on God’s eternity and our own frailty. Our days are numbered. Moses’ request wasn’t for more days or busier days. It was for wisdom within the days we’ve been given.
That’s what challenged me. I had spent years trying to fit more into my days. But this verse isn’t asking for more to do. It’s asking for wisdom. Wisdom doesn’t simply ask, “How much can I fit into today?” Wisdom asks, “What does this day hold?”
So, if I’m not trying to fit more into every day… what am I aiming for instead? I’m aiming to become more attentive to the life God has already placed within my days. Because wisdom isn’t measured by how much we squeeze into it. It’s measured by how faithfully we steward the one we’ve been given.
Next time, I’d love to share why I believe the sweetest fruit is the fruit that’s received in season.