If there’s one thing I know about this life, it’s that I don’t feel like I’m achieving anything unless I’m doing something. I will go out of my way to do as much as I can, all to please others. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I believe that it can have a negative effect on our God time.
When the chaos that is life is swirling around you, and you’re amidst deadlines, and bills, and worrying, and doing, and family, and work, and pleasing everybody, it’s only natural that somewhere along the way you are going to drop the bundle. Your free time is gone, your scheduled events are being eaten into, and those items we’ve given low priority are thrown over board so we can stay afloat.
And for me, and many others I assume, it’s our God time that takes a hit. Instead of giving him my first fruits (my best) I give Him what I can where I can, justifying that He’s God, He’ll be cool with it, and we’ll just pick up where I left off last time.
Only next time could be a week, or two, and then when I look at my dusty Bible and realize it’s been a while I get hit with a pang of guilt and realize I never meant it to get this bad.
In reality that makes me no better than Cain who virtually gave God the rotten leftover fruit from his harvest while his brother Able gave the first of his livestock and crops.
It makes me no better than Martha, who served and served and served when Jesus was in the house while Mary her sister sat at His feet and enjoyed his presence (Not that serving God is wrong, it’s a great thing!).
So what did I do about it? I prayed about it. I asked God to show me the things that I was doing that I didn’t need to, I asked him to help me make time for Him, for just sitting in awe in His presence. and I repented for putting other things before Him (making idols out of worldly things. Ever notice how we wear our busyness around like a badge of pride. “Oh I’m so busy.” “Me too.”).
That.s when it struck me. God doesn’t want us to DO more, He wants us to BE more. He doesn’t want us to live out our relationship with Him with acts of service, He wants to spend quality time with us.
Time is so precious, but so is the time spent on God.
I’m going to finish up right now. But first may I suggest, you close this browser, in fact shut down your computer. Stop what your doing, you can pick it all up again later and go and spend some quality time with God. We’ll still be here when we get back, and so will everything else!
Enjoy His Presence – The Kid
My Lord, My Friend 