PiVAT Maybe - To Do List ( for God to confirm, delay, or delete) So important! You have to distinguish between God's plan and your plan
What is a PiVAT Maybe? (part of Insert #2 - Monthly Insert for your PiVAT Journal) PiVAT and PiVAT Maybe - are Time Obedience Tools. They work together, they help you distinguish between what you think you ‘gotta do’ and what God told youto do today. The only way to walk in God’s “plans for you to prosper” (Jeremiah 29:11) - is to obey with time. Get His plan for you - for today! (PiVAT) Every day things will come up which “demand your instant attention” or so it seems. Those things that constantly "pop-up" during the day – put them first on your ‘scratch’ PiVAT MAYBE not your PiVAT for today.
PiVAT (Right Column) is only for what God specifically told you to do today.
From your scratch list, Ask God if He wants you to put this item on today’s PIVAT (Right Column – God’s To Do List for you). If He doesn’t specifically tell you “This item is for today;” put it on your official PiVAT Maybe for this month – for God to confirm, delay or delete.
It is vitally important to distinguish between things you think you need to do, and things God told you to do today. It’s the difference between God’s Plan and your plan - God’s way and man’s way.
Not everything that comes up during the day (new obligations, opportunities, or other people's demands on your time) are God's To Do's for you - or God's To Do's for you - for today. PiVAT is God’s Plan for you - for today. PiVAT Maybe is what seems right to you. PiVAT is God's To Do List for you - for today. It may or may not include some things from your PiVAT Maybe.
PiVAT Maybe is your list of "gotta do's" for God to confirm, delay, or delete. Separate the two! PiVAT Maybe is an ongoing list that accumulates throughout the month. At the end of the month – Many of those things have been completed. Some are irrelevant now, others remain as possibilities – for God to confirm, delay or delete. Insert #2 Monthly Insert – contains a new PiVAT Maybe for each month.
Scratch PiVAT Maybe – is just keeping a separate PiVAT Maybe – for today at the bottom of your PiVAT sheet. If something new pops in your head to do, or to do today… Write it first on your ‘scratch PiVAT Maybe section at the bottom of your PiVAT sheet, or if it’s a long list, write them all down on a Conversations Page in a paragraph entitled “Scratch PiVAT Maybe.”
This is crucial. Just because you think of something additional to do, doesn’t mean God wants you to put it on PiVAT – the right side column. That’s for God’s To Do’s for you only… Otherwise PiVAT becomes ‘your gotta do list’ instead of God’s To Do List for you – for today.
How to use PiVAT Maybe
1.Do PiVAT Before Dinner – Get God’s plan for you for tomorrow. Every day before you leave the office, or before you walk in the door, or eat dinner, take 5 minutes and Ask God for HIS PLAN for you - for tomorrow. He will tell you. (Start with a blank PiVAT Sheet.) 2.Do a ‘Scratch’ PiVAT Maybeif your mind is racing. On occasion, before doing PiVAT before dinner if you find your mind is cluttered with all the ‘things you gotta do’ take a minute first, on a Conversations Page - to get on paper everything you feel you "gotta do" at home, work, church, school, personal etc. The urgent things, the nagging things, the "wish I had time to do" things, the ‘should have done this already’ things. Get it all out on paper. From clean the garage, shop for car insurance, etc.
Your mind can get so cluttered and stressed with all the "urgent things" that it's hard to hear what God is telling you. Once these are off your mind and on paper - set this scratch PiVAT Maybe list aside. Now you can hear more clearly what God wants you to do in your PiVAT (before dinner) time – getting God’s plan for you for tomorrow. (PiVAT includes a scratch “PiVAT Maybe section at the bottom)
3.Complete PiVAT Maybe Once God shows you His plan for you – for tomorrow, ask Him about your ‘mind dump’ ‘scratch’ PiVAT Maybe. A. Should any item go on PiVAT for tomorrow (God’s To Do List for you) - maybe none… B. Should any item be eliminated completely (not even on the radar for you right now). C. The rest go on this month’s PiVAT Maybe – for God to confirm, delay or delete. 4. Start a New PiVAT Maybe at the beginning of the month. But also each day – have a ‘scratch PiVAT Maybe – at the bottom of your PiVAT Sheet for today, or on a Conversations Page in your Conversation Log. 5.Update PiVAT Maybe throughout the day The things that constantly "pop-up" during the day – put them first on your ‘scratch’ PiVAT MAYBE not your PiVAT for today. 6.Purge your PiVAT Maybe To Do List. Occasionally set time aside to review your PIVAT MAYBE To Do List and remove the items that have either been completed, or no longer apply. This just adds to your testimony of what God did as you are learning to obey with Time Decisions!
Over time you will find that some of the "urgent things" that popped up during your day, were indeed God's will for you - but for another day this week. He will confirm them in your spirit a day or two later during PiVATbefore dinner - seeking His plan for you - for tomorrow. Other "urgent things" - God provides someone else to do them, or He provides another way entirely for the same need to get accomplished.
Finally, you will be surprised at how many of these "urgent" things that seemed so pressing at the time - just don't need to be done at all. As you seek God's plan for you each day - some things you thought were important - that you used to interrupt your day for - just aren't as important as you thought, (Or... aren't even important at all!)
How to Fill Out PiVAT Maybe
Home:pertains to your marriage, family, house and personal or personal ministry responsibilities. These could include anything from; a book you've wanted to read, something you want to do for your spouse or children, siblings or parents, new skill development, house projects, even personal diet or fitness etc.
Work: is for your vocational responsibilities. If you are a student this is school work, if a homemaker, or breadwinner - these are things that need to be accomplished in your 8-hour a day career time. Life in the arena of work - is often a 'tug of war' between Daily Operations and R&D (Research & Development) - Future Preparation.
For example, if you spend all of your time taking care of customers - you will have no time to create new products or solutions. If you spend all of your time studying for quizes and exams, and daily homework assignments, you will never get around to starting that term paper. And if you are constantly cooking and cleaning and transporting kids, you won't ever get to the needed preparation for the next phase of your life and that of your children, or your marriage, or your personal growth. The PiVAT MAYBE To Do List enables you to remember these things – so you can seek God for His perfect will regarding them, and His perfect timing. (PiVAT Weekly, PiVAT Monthly, and PiVAT Yearly help with this as well)
Church: is a 'family requirement' of every believer. This is not only "ministry" but also "body-life" and mutual responsibility. This could be considering being a Sunday School teacher, or a Greeter if God confirms it in your spirit, or it could be a phone call to a hurting person, preparing a meal, or sending a letter of encouragement to a pastor, teacher or friend. Within the body of Christ - each one has been given a part. Church isn't just for hearing the Word, worship and fellowship, but also for employing our spiritual gifts, and just being there for the ‘building up’ of the whole. This might be: serving in our area of giftedness, or just serving where there is a need, but most critically - as a follower of Christ engaging where and when God is directing us.
The reason you list things on your PIVAT MAYBE To Do List is simple: It helps with Discernment.
Only do what God is telling you to do. Because even good things - are not "God things" unless He directs the thing and the timing.
That's the difference between followers of Christ and religious people. God is not calling us to religion, but to obedience. His Thing, His Way, His Timing. It's where the joy comes, it's where the fruit is, it's how to avoid burnout - It's how you live your best life! It's how you hear well done.
All ministry doesn't happen within the church, or a church sponsored activity, but local church involvement is a responsibility all of us share - even those who participate in other family, community or para-church ministries. Word: is for "Study topics" God is drawing you to - where deeper truth, application and victory await you. This might be S.o.a.p.ing out an entire PRISM Topic – a new PRISM TOPIC - that you would like to build or meditate on. It could be a Book of the Bible you feel drawn to read, a Bible character's life study, or a story - which you suspect may contain deeper insights than you presently have understood or drawn upon for your life or life situation.
Financial: This section is for next steps financially. God's goal for you: is to walk in the Spirit – financially. He wants to make your money decisions. This involves Accounting and Obeying.
How you handle money is a clear indicator of your relationship with God - Luke 16:11 – If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of worldly wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you. Someone once said - "If you will obey with money - you will obey with anything." God doesn’t want you to be a better money manager, He wants you to be a better money obeyer.
Use this section of your PiVAT MAYBE To Do List to write down potential next steps in your journey of financial obedience. This might be take the Hear Well Done Money Survey, setting up an Accounting Tool, so you can seek God daily for His financial decisions for you. It could be ask God for a 4C’s Monthly Call Partner – to overcome financially with someone each month. It could be pray about joining a Compass Bible Study like Navigating Your Finances God's Way, or Money & Marriage, it could be getting a will in place, reviewing your insurance requirements, updating your 30-Day List, or any other thing needed for you to obey financially. If something is on your heart, list it here, and then let God confirm, delay or delete as He chooses.
How Long Should My PiVAT Maybe To Do List Be?
Generally your PiVAT MAYBE To Do List will get longer (until God deletes some things), and your PiVAT will get shorter as you write on your PiVAT Right Column – only what God told you to do today. I have found that God's To Do List for me is far shorter than My To Do List was (which never all got done anyway).
Focus on the Holy Spirit's leading through PiVAT, and throughoutday, not your ideas from PiVAT MAYBE. Every "Gotta Do" first goes on the PiVAT Maybe List - God will then confirm, delay, or delete as He chooses - and you are free to follow His plan - which always works, always is the best for you, and always brings joy!
The goal is not having a long or short PiVAT MAYBE List - but rather, having your PiVAT for today - contain only what God told you to do.
PiVAT MAYBE is more of an overflow place, for new seemingly urgent agenda items, so they don't distract you from what God told you to do today. That’s why it's important to check in with Him throughout the day. Remember God promised the Holy Spirit will lead you - Psalms 32:8. Live each day by PiVAT and the Holy Spirit not PiVAT Maybe.
Should I review PiVAT Maybe before I do my PiVAT before dinner?
No, it's better to start with a clean PiVAT sheet before dinner- to get God's plan for you - for tomorrow. Only if your mind is full of distractions - get a scratch maybe list - to get them off your mind.
Then Seek God for tomorrow with a clean PiVAT sheet. After He has revealed His will for you for tomorrow, whatever is left on your scratch list - Ask God if they should even go on your PiVAT MAYBE To Do List? He might already weed them out immediately.
Remember - your PiVAT Maybe To Do List isn't to help God remember anything. He already knows what He wants you to do for tomorrow, this week, and this month. Your PiVAT Maybe is to help you stop stressing about things He hasn'ttold you to do, or hasn't told you to do yet, and doesn't want you worrying about.
Your PiVAT MAYBE is a daily reminder that there is a difference between God's Way and yours, that the things we feel are urgent, are not always.
Your PiVAT MAYBE To Do List - helps you focus on what God has for you, without fearing that you'll forget something. You will be surprised at how many of those "somethings" - just never reach the priority level of PiVAT – what God is telling you to do today.
Pretty amazing, but God's yoke is easy, ours is hard. His burden is light, ours is heavy. You'll find very soon - His PiVAT is far preferable to your PiVAT Maybe.
In fact your PiVAT Maybe To Do List isn't even for you to be reminded of things. It's just a placeholder so "what you think you have to do" doesn't distract you from what God is Telling You To Do throughout the day.
You won't learn to clearly hear God's Voice - by constantly reviewing the things you "think" you have to do.
Start fresh with GOD ONLY and a blank PiVAT sheet during PiVAT before dinner. It's good to review your PiVAT Maybe occasionally. It's best after God has already set your day plan. You can pray through PiVAT Maybe for the future and God will start weeding things out. You can either delete them - or print out a fresh PiVAT Maybe each month with only the true "current pending" items included (and keep older versions with your monthly Conversation Logs). You will see the difference God's perfect time makes, versus our timing, and you will witness Him do amazing things through you in a way only He could accomplish.
Will a PiVAT Maybe To Do List item, ever trump something on my PiVAT for today?
Possibly, if God tells you, but make it a rule that each interruption today gets listed first on your PiVAT Maybe. This will help you avoid the constant mental distraction of the hundred things you are not doing - and focus your attention on God's assignment for this moment.
Have you ever said... "Man, I didn't accomplish anything today!" Was that true? You probably made progress on some things, but most likely you were suckered into distractions that kept you from completing today's assignment from the Lord. Maybe you never even realized He has a specific assignment - not just for your day, but for your morning, afternoon, and evening.
Your time belongs to Him, if you're a servant of Christ. Don't worry though - He promises His servants that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Those who let Him make their time decisions, not only get more things done, they get the truly important things accomplished, are less distracted by interruptions, and in the end have more time for rest and relaxation too!
That's a key difference between God's way and man's way in Time Decisions. If this interruption is really from the LORD, Ask Him quickly if He wants you to change course, He'll tell you. If you feel He is telling you to stop one thing, and begin another; next ask Him what to do with the "original item?" Does He still want you to complete it today? or leave it for another day? If He has it for another day - Don't just assume it will be for tomorrow - put it back on your PiVAT Maybe To Do List for God to confirm, delay or delete.
BEWARE! Don't let the devil trick you. This is NOT overkill. These things are not too inconsequential to God. Every servant checks in multiple time per day with their master. You can't do two things at once...either God wants you to do this thing (that you're doing right now) or another thing. Just Ask God which one - and He will tell you.
Simply follow PiVAT each day in the times God reveals. If God interrupts you with a new task (He has the right to do so) the Holy Spirit will make it clear, "This is an exception; this isn't for PiVAT Maybe - this one needs to replace what you are doing right now."
That's the great joy of walking in the Spirit; close fellowship with your Master, who also is your Heavenly Father, who loves you more than you can know. You can't imagine the joy He has in store for you each day.
Some people think that God doesn't care about that level of detail. Doesn't God just give us options, and can bless whichever one we choose?
It's true, some believe that God doesn't really care what we do throughout the day... as long as we worship or serve him as best we can. They believe as long as we don't worship other god's or do any major sins, He really lets us decide how to live our lives, as long as it's pleasing to him.
Well… aside from the fact that no person can truly know what is pleasing to Him, without asking Him, (they can only chose an option that they "think" would be pleasing to him)... Why not just ask and let Him lead you step by step by the Holy Spirit? Jesus left, so He could send the Holy Spirit - to guide us into all truth, to lead us in the way we should go.
Personal beliefs impact our personal experience. If I believe I can't water ski - I'm right. Because believing this, I will likely never try. When it comes to water skiing, I am completely right; I will never water ski - until I change the way I believe.
Some believe God just gives us choice, and blesses whatever option we choose. We certainly always have options. God has granted free-will to people; He won't force us into doing things that will bring His blessing. I'm not saying this way of thinking is ungodly, but I can't help but wonder...
if everything were optional - then why does the Word say “He knows the plans He has for us?” (Jereiah 29:11) - Not just the "plan" for our life but "plans." If He promises to lead us in the way we should go - then there are obviously other ways we could go. And while not all of them are bad, if there are several options to choose from, not all of them can be God's best for us.
Equally, if that were the case then why send the Holy Spirit to lead us "in the way you should go." It didn't say He will lead us in several ways we could go... it says He will guide us in the way we should go. That means of all the ways we could go: some terrible, some “not bad,” some pretty good - there is a way that is BEST for us - a way that is His perfect will, not just his permissible will.
Why does James 1:5 say we can ask for wisdom - and He will give it without holding our past mistakes against us? Wisdom is needed when determining which of several options one should choose. For those who believe in multiple options - that's fine. But for me, I love knowing that God loves me enough to show me the best way to go. The way He purposely selected for me!
He'll tell me the best option. I don't want to waste a minute on second best, and I don't want to waste a minute considering any options outside His will. I want to walk in the center of God's will for me moment by moment. No greater joy than that!
If He knows the number of hairs on my head (at this very moment); if He calls the stars by Name, if He sends the angels as His messengers, if He has measured the deep with His hand's breadth - He can handle the small details of my entire lifetime.
He wants to be intimately involved in directing your life. That's what Lordship is - intimate involvement through an obedience relationship.
Obedience in what? TIME - that’s the way you obey in life – with time; the moments, hours, and days of your life.
Master’s control your time. That's the kind of relationship Jesus had with His Heavenly Father; He only did (throughout the day) what His Father told him to do. (Jesus said this multiple times).
Our prayer is that you will obey with time - and let God show you how specific, and specifically wonderful are the plans He has for you – for today. God will teach you to discern the difference between PiVAT and PiVAT Maybe (God's Way and man's way). He has good for you!