It used to bedevil me. Sally Jean would post a photo of her steaming coffee and heavily annotated Bible at the same time every morning, and each post would incrementally dismantle my confidence in my own faith. My mornings didn’t look like that- at least not all the time. So the guilt gnawed at my conscience.
You’ve probably heard sermons or read blog posts before about “making time” for God. It’s a popular topic, and one that’s pertinent to our busy-bodied society. I’ve often heard it framed like this: that Jesus is just starving for some quality time with us, but we cruelly deprive Him of it because we’re preoccupied with secular activities that yield no spiritual return.
For years, I aligned my thoughts with this narrative. But this kind of thinking failed to transform me. It made me feel plenty guilty, but never provoked lasting change. I’d pick up the practice for a day or two, but it was never long before I fell off the horse again.
My schedule was hectic. Each day would unfurl in a frenzied snarl of events. Poor Jesus got stood up every morning. And in my mind, the distance between us lengthened with each passing day.
Now I can honestly say that I no longer struggle to “make time” for Him. My daily communion with Him is consistent, organic, and transformative. So what changed? Hint: not my time management skills, schedule, or priorities.
What changed was my perspective, because at the root of every behavioral shift is a perspective shift. With that, I hope this post challenges you to change the way you think about spending time with God. Below are three fresh perspectives to help you reframe your journey.
1. We are the ones in need.
“For in Him we live and move and have our being. . .” - Acts 17:28
Without Him, we don’t live or move or have our being in any meaningful way. It’s time to stop feeling guilty over God’s unmet desire for time with us, and turn our focus to our desperate need for Him. He’s the only One who can breathe life into what we do and who we are. From Him, all good things flow. “Every good and perfect gift is from above..” -James 1:17. We need to acknowledge that when we neglect time with Him, we only do ourselves a disservice. We rob ourselves of all that is good.
2. There’s no such thing as a “spiritual life.” There’s only life.
I used to compartmentalize the “secular” and the “spiritual” parts of my life. I thought pastors and missionaries were the only ones for whom “spiritual life” and life could ever truly coalesce. But this way of thinking is simply unbiblical. Let’s go back to the verse: in Him we live and move and have our being. That means everything we do can and should be done “in Him.”
I’m all for a two-hour meditative prayer and Bible study session. But sometimes we tend to think our relationship with God lives there. It doesn’t. Know that even on your busiest days, as you bounce from place to place, God is with you every step of the way. You are literally one with Him. If you doubt it, read John 14:20 and Galatians 2:20.
Next time you catch yourself feeling guilty and unspiritual after a scrambled day, instead of believing that you’ve let God down, just thank Him for being with you in the midst of your busyness.
3. God transcends all “priorities.”
When we tell ourselves that we need to “make time” for God like we would make time for a workout or a house chore, we put Him on the same playing field as any other priority. The truth is, He’s the only true priority. All other priorities are just avenues for the seepage of His glory.
He is not just another obligation, demanding additional time and space. He transcends all our interests and activities. He is not divorced from them, but in them.
In conclusion, it doesn’t matter how busy your schedule is. You will find time for Him when you fully accept that everything you are and everything you do is in and through and utterly dependent on Him. Change happens when we start thinking bigger thoughts about God. So, friend, it’s time to shed the guilt, own your oneness with Christ, and step into a permanent lifestyle of ceaseless communion.
Do you struggle to make time for God? Comment below and let us know.
Jamila is the founder of loved+blessed. On her personal mission to leave a legacy of encouragement, she blogs about her own life lessons with the hope that it will bring joy into others’ lives and help them find the courage to keep walking in faith knowing that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord. Read her testimony of how God turned her misery into ministry.
