Time with God
The kids are back at school and guitar lessons and soccer practice and (insert your child’s extra-curricular activities here) and it doesn’t take long for life to get crazy busy again. Our calendar is full of reminders about school meetings, cello lesson times, orthodontist appointments…and the list goes on. And I don’t know about you but if I don’t write it down, it gets forgotten and doesn’t happen.
We tend to naturally prioritize those things in life we see as important. We’ll rearrange the schedule and find time for those things we value.
So, what about our relationship with God? Do we prioritize time spent with Him reading the Bible, praying, listening for His voice and His leading? Do we invest in those things that encourage us in our faith, like meeting with fellow believers for corporate worship or Bible study?
As believers, we know time spent with God reading His Word and talking with Him, brings life, hope, peace and joy. When we meet with God, we are seldom left unchanged. In these quiet times He teaches us more about himself, His character, His great love for us, His mercy and grace. He guides us and gives us what we need for the day. Why then, do the things we know will grow our relationship with God, get pushed to the side?
Perhaps our schedule is too full (and that’s probably a topic for another day). Or perhaps it’s because we haven’t made it a priority. When we place a high value on our relationship with God, then we’ll plan times to spend with Him. Of course, that’s not to say that God doesn’t abide in us at all times, because He absolutely does. But we’re human and we all know how easily we can get distracted by the busyness of daily life and our focus can shift.
Why not set a reminder on your phone to pray throughout the day? Make a time in the week to sit down with your husband/wife/friend and pray together. Download a Bible reading plan to your phone and listen to a passage when you wake up in the morning/go to sleep at night. Plan to be in church on a Sunday. Register your children for Kidz Church. Go for a walk in the morning or evening and listen to a Christian podcast or pray. Find what works for you and make it a priority.
Intentional time spent growing our relationship with God is never wasted time. It’s only through relationship with Christ that we can experience true peace, joy and hope – and those things can never be found in the hustle bustle of life.
“The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:17
