Have you ever gotten to the end of the day and wondered, “Where did all my time go?”
I know I have many times, You were busy. You showed up. You checked things off your list.
But somehow, you still feel drained… maybe even unfulfilled despite all you did.
As moms, wives, and women trying to do our best, it’s easy to think the solution is better time management. A better planner. A better routine, A better schedule next time. I can’t tell you how many times I have redone my schedule or bought a new planner in hopes of managing my schedule better lol.
But what if the issue isn’t just managing time?
What if it’s about stewarding what God has given you which is both your time and your energy?
The Bible reminds us:
“Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity…” — Ephesians 5:15-16
God is not just concerned with what we do with our time and energy, He cares how we live, how we spend, and how we pour out.
Table of Contents
Understanding Stewardship (Beyond Money)
When we hear the word stewardship, we often think about money like stewarding our money wisely.
But stewardship is deeper than that.
It’s about recognizing that everything we have; our time, our energy, our attention is on loan from God.
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” — Psalm 90:12
It is important to remember that time is a gift and Energy is a resource and this should help us realize we need to be intentional about both because they are limited.
This means we’re not just here to spend our days we are called to intentionally invest them.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…” — Colossians 3:23
The Difference Between Being Busy and Being Fruitful
Often times throughout the day as I mentioned earlier, I feel so busy but then end up not accomplishing much. This is the difference between being Fruitful. Just because your schedule is fully booked does not mean you are fruitful. Even in life, we are often asked to rank things in order of Importance and urgency.
When it comes to being busy vs fruitful, I find that Busy is reactive where it simply reacts to things while Fruitful is intentional about what is done. Busy tends to be scattered without much of a plan or alignment to a goal while Fruitful is aligned. With busy work, you end up being drained yet unfulfilled while being fruitful fills you and leaves you fulfilled that you achieved something.
Jesus didn’t call us to a life of constant activity. One saying I love is, if you are too busy for God, then you are busier than he intended for you to be.
“I am the vine; you are the branches… if you remain in me… you will bear much fruit.” — John 15:5
I am learning that with my daily schedule, I need to not ask “Am I doing a lot?” but to ask “Is what I’m doing aligned with what God has called me to in this season?”. That will help ensure my day is spent doing what God wants me to be doing.
Identifying Energy Drainers vs. Life-Giving Activities
To be honest, often times not everything that takes your time deserves your energy. This is a hard truth I have had to come to terms with and force myself to remember daily. I am someone who loves to help people when I can and sometimes its to my own detriment where I sacrifice my time and priorities.
And one of the most powerful things you can do is become aware of what is draining you and what is life-giving.
Some examples of Energy Drainers could include
- Overcommitting to things God didn’t ask you to carry
- Constant comparison (especially on social media)
- Lack of rest and downtime
- Saying yes out of guilt instead of obedience
- Environments that leave you feeling heavy
Some examples of Life-Giving Activities
- Spending time with God
- Intentional, present moments with your family
- Rest and sabbath rhythms
- Work that aligns with your purpose
- Quiet moments to reset and breathe
If you constantly feel depleted, it may not be because you’re doing too much, it may be because you’re doing things that were never assigned to you. This reality always hits me hard, imagine being exhausted from doing things God never intended for you to do!
Setting God-Aligned Priorities
Not everything is equally important in every season and honestly, understanding this has been one of the most freeing things for me in order to align my life with God’s priorities, not pressure.
Even this bible says in “Seek first the kingdom of God…” — Matthew 6:33
A simple way to look at it is
- God first
- Family second
- Assignment (work, calling, responsibilities) third.
Of course I know this doesn’t mean everything will always be perfectly balanced especially as parents but it helps to be aligned.
Boundaries: Protecting What Matters
I struggle with this because when I set boundaries, I feel so bad saying No or sticking to them vs helping. But when you think about it, boundaries are not selfish, they are spiritual wisdom.
Even Jesus stepped away to be alone to pray.
“Very early in the morning… Jesus went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” — Mark 1:35
If Jesus needed space, rest, and boundaries, how much more we as humans.
Some examples of ways I am learning to set boundaries or trying to learn haha include:
- Saying no without overexplaining
- Not answering every call or message immediately
- Protecting my rest time
- Being intentional with my yes
Practical Ways to Steward Your Time and Energy Daily
Trying to steward my time and energy is slowly beginning to look like this daily:
- I try to start my day with God, even if its just like 5 to 10 minutes, or sometimes that might happen in the gym while working out or after.
- I try to plan my day each day so I can decide on my top priorities and how my day looks
- I schedule a few minutes during the day to pray and think over my day
- I try to look over my goals weekly or many every two weeks just to see how far off or how close I am to what pushes me closer to them
Grace for the Process
Finally, always remember, you won’t get this perfectly right everytime. There will be days that will feel aligned and other days will feel messy so give yourself grace.
God is not expecting perfection from us, he is looking for a willing heart.