The local newspaper features a section each day that states “what are YOU going to do today?” They emphasize the word ‘you’ as if one might miss it in the sentence. Living in a popular tourist spot, they are serving to help people know what is going on each day so that they can find things to do. It always strikes me how there is such emphasis placed on the word ‘you’. People will ask “how was your day?” or “how is your summer going?” Is it really mine? I know from the moment we were born we were very much aware of what we wanted. My kids ask me every day what we are going to do. They have plans to go to various playgrounds, fishing, swimming or baseball. This is why I come home from vacation so tired; they run me ragged. These things are wonderful things for them to be a part of and I encourage them. But, what if the constant desire to be entertained actually distracts from the plan that God might have for each of us during the day? What would happen if we just stopped and at least considered what God might want for us that day?
Let me back up for a second, though. I know it might seem somewhat legalistic of me to say that we need to run everything by God before we do it, but my point is merely that we actually don’t own as much as we think.
Every morning we wake up. Waking up is a blessing every single day, yet how often do we even give it a thought? There is no guarantee that when we lay our head down to sleep that we will wake up in the morning. It is by the grace of God that we wake up. Scripture tells us that “in him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)
That means the every breath that I take is a gift from God. Every step I take is only by the very grace of the Almighty God. I don’t control nearly as much as I think. This might scare you, but consider the One who is in charge and be excited, not scared. He is good!
What about the weather? I know we wish we could control the weather, but we can’t. This is just another part of the world that we can’t control. We also can’t control the speed the earth is rotating. We can’t control gravity. We can’t determine whether or not the air we breathe will actually be helpful to our bodies or kill us.
I share this not to bash anyone for making plans each day, but rather to remind us all who it all belongs to. I have a lot of ideas each day as to what I would like to accomplish, but it is God who gets the final say. He is the one who spoke the world into being and sustains it by His hand. He knows far more than I do and I will let him lead.
The reminder is simple; we love this world more than we should when there is something far greater in Jesus Christ for us. We spend far too much time trying to get more for ourselves, never even bothering to ask God what He might want for us. I know I have some great ideas, but God’s plans are always better in the end. Let’s not miss out on what He has.
So, maybe instead of asking what YOU are going to do today the questions should be what do YOU, God, want me to do today.
No Throw Aways 
We recently had a similar conversation in class. How we tend to get stuck in our little routines of gettting up, having our bible study or devotional time, then going off to our next thing. Seldom do we ask God for His plans for our day and then really listen for His reply.
Our we are out and about and run into someone. However, we are so busy with our agenda that we don’t realize the God moment and neglect to give of our time to our brother/sister at hat moment.
This is a good topic, Derek.
Yes, I agree. Keeping our eyes open to what God is doing is important. I often wonder what I miss because I am too busy to notice.
Awesome follow up to yesterday’s post. Angie