By Brandy Novoa
Area Pastor & Women’s Ministry Pastor · Church of the City Franklin
Holy Tension: Holding Planning and Surrender Together
As women and believers, we find ourselves living between productivity and faith.
Between planning and being present.
Between being responsible for how we spend our time and surrendering that time, and its outcomes to God.
We make our schedules, set our goals, color-code our calendars, and create our to-do lists. Yet we know that ultimately our days belong to the Lord.
This kind of tension can feel uncomfortable, but perhaps it was never meant to be avoided.
Perhaps it is holy.
Holy tension invites us to hold two important truths at the same time: God calls us to steward our lives well, and He call us to trust Him with what we cannot control.
When we embrace this tension rather than resist it, it can produce something far greater than efficiency or accomplishment. It can reap a harvest of peace, joy, wisdom, and dependence on God.
And it all begins with what Scripture calls “the fear of the Lord”.
“Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.”
To fear the Lord is not to be afraid of Him. It is to live with a deep reverence, awe, and devotion toward Him. It is choosing to place God’s wisdom above our own and His plans above our preferences.
We begin with reverence for our Father in Heaven, believing that He is nearer than our very breath. As we align our hearts with His, holy tension emerges; not as a burden, but as an invitation to walk closely with Him.
A woman who fears the Lord is set apart because:
- She has begun a lifelong journey to knowing God. (Proverbs 1:7)
- She turns from relying on her own understanding and chooses God’s way instead. (Proverbs 3:5-7)
- She experiences deep intimacy and communion with the Lord. (Proverbs 14:26)
- She finds genuine joy and confidence in God’s presence. (Proverbs 31:25)
- She enjoys the fruit that comes from a disciplined and faithful life. (Proverbs 10:27)
- She is determined to serve the Lord with her whole heart. (Proverbs 31:30)
The beautiful thing about holy tension is that it doesn’t require us to choose between planning and trusting. It invites us to do both.
We can make the plan and hold it loosely.
We can set the goals and remain interruptible.
We can steward our time faithfully while trusting God with the results.
We can be intentional without becoming controlling.
The woman who fears the Lord doesn’t abandon her planner. She simply places it on the altar each day.
She writes her plans in pencil and lets God hold the pen.
As we learn to live in this space, we discover that our greatest accomplishment isn’t a perfectly executed schedule; it’s a heart that remains surrendered to God in every moment.
And that kind of tension is holy!