Keep God In Your Calendar

I want you to think about something for a minute: integrity in your calendar. Your calendar is more than a list of appointments. It is a reflection of what you value, what you prioritize, and ultimately, what you believe is important. If you work in sales, real estate, mortgage, or any business where people depend on you, there will always be someone asking for more of your time. One more phone call. One more meeting. One more showing. One more problem that suddenly becomes urgent. And there is nothing wrong with serving people well. In fact, I believe we should work hard, keep our commitments, and do everything we can to help the people who trust us. But there comes a point where service without boundaries begins to cost us the things that matter most. Our marriage. Our children. Our health. Our friendships. Our church. And most importantly, our relationship with God. The challenge is that those things usually don’t demand our attention the way a client does. A client will call. A transaction will create pressure. An email will show up marked urgent. Your faith may not interrupt your day in the same way. Your family may not always tell you they need more of you. But that does not make those things less important. From a Christian perspective, I believe balance begins with order. God first. Then the responsibilities He has entrusted to us. Then our work. Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God. There is an order to that statement, and I believe that order matters. When God is first, everything else has a better chance of finding its proper place. Without that foundation, it is entirely possible to become very successful professionally while becoming spiritually, emotionally, and relationally depleted. And that is not success. So your calendar needs boundaries that reflect your beliefs. There should be times when you work hard, stay late, and do everything possible to serve your clients. But there should also be times when the answer is simply, “I’m not available then.” Not because you don’t care. Because you do. You care about being a good spouse. A good parent. A good friend. A good steward of your health. And most importantly, you care about maintaining your relationship with God. So here is the question I would encourage you to ask yourself this week: Does my calendar reflect what I say I believe? If faith is important, where is it on the calendar? If your marriage is important, where is it? If your children are important, where are they? If your health matters, where is the time devoted to maintaining it? Integrity means bringing your actions into alignment with your beliefs. So protect your calendar. Serve your clients well. Keep your commitments. But don’t sacrifice the most important parts of your life in the process. Remember who you belong to, remember what you’ve been entrusted with, and trust God with the rest.