“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col. 3:17) — How far do we take that command? Does “whatever” even include scheduling people into ministry time slots and scheduling rooms and equipment for various ministries?
Yes, “whatever” means whatever — everything and all we say or do. That would even include the sometimes tedious, sometimes frustrating, task of scheduling.
How Doing it in the Name of the Lord Affects Our Scheduling Efforts
What a difference it makes when we “do it ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus”! It affects not just how we schedule but also us.
1) It affects our motivation.
When we do it all in His name, we answer to Him. It’s as though we’re “working for the Lord” (Col. 3:23). And so, even in scheduling, we work at it with all of our heart. He deserves our very best in “whatever” we do, even scheduling. We want to align with Him and please Him in all things.
2) It affects our perspective.
When we schedule in the name of the Lord, we depend on Him. We realize our need to pull on His power in all we do, however menial it might seem. We take Jesus’s words seriously when He said, “apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). It’s not about what we can do for Him but rather what He does through us. So, we pray about it in Jesus’ name (Jn. 14:13-14), truly seeking His will for the right people to fill the right time slots. When we truly depend on Him to work, we can then trust that even in last minute cancellations or no-shows, God will work all things for the good (Rom. 8:28) and bring about His purposes.
3) It affects our reactions.
When we do something in the name of the Lord, we represent Him. Consequently, we go about scheduling in a Christ-like manner. Surely that would involve being considerate, looking out for the good of everyone and not merely focusing on getting time slots filled. We will care about the people, not just completing our task. We’ll respond to the inconsiderate and self-centered issues with Christ-like grace and truth. Knowing we represent Him as we schedule in His name, we view people’s failure to keep their commitments more as an affront to the Lord than to us. We pray for them rather than get annoyed with them.
4) It affects our attitudes.
When whatever we do is done in His name, we give glory to Him. Because we do what we do in His name, for His sake, we find ourselves being more thankful rather than getting disgruntled and complaining about last minute changes. Gratitude acknowledges the power of His name. No matter what happens we can find ourselves “giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20).
For More, Go To: Resources about the Name of the Lord
All Posts about Scheduling:
- Considerate Scheduling
- Purposeful Scheduling
- Scheduling Leave Room for the Great Commission?
- Christ-like Scheduling is Flexible
- Scheduling Woes
- Gospel-Centered Scheduling
- Prayer-Based Scheduling Needed
- Prayer-Based Scheduling Makes a Difference
- Even Scheduling Needs God’s Power
- Spiritual Gifts for Scheduling
- God’s Grace in Scheduling
- Need Help with Scheduling?
- Scheduling in the Name of the Lord?
- Frustrated by the Task of Scheduling?
- Scripture Thoroughly Equips Us, Even for Scheduling
- Scheduling Have You Down?