How to Find the Time to Celebrate Jesus
Tarah Avery
I recently asked a group of women about one of the biggest struggles in their relationship with God. The results? Over 50% of them said that time was their biggest issue; or, more specifically, finding the time to spend with Jesus.
Does this feel about right? I know that used to be my story.
I am naturally a pretty spontaneous person. I used to fill my time to overflowing with work, friends, church activities, and family. Sure, I was at church 5 days a week, but that was for serving and giving my time to others. I wasn’t practicing my personal relationship with Jesus which usually got left on the back burner.
I would let the guilt creep in because I just couldn’t discipline myself to wake up extra early (mornings are not my friend) to read my Bible and pray like the most “spiritual” people would do. What makes spending your first minutes with Jesus more spiritual than any other part of the day anyway? This is a common misconception for those of us who have grown up in the church, a misconception that has done more harm than good.
The thing I love most about my husband is his complete devotion to Jesus. As long as I have known him he has always taken the time to spend with God daily. How did he do it? Was he just more “spiritual” and devoted to God than I was? Oops, there’s that word “spiritual” again.
Can I just pause and say that there is nothing that you or anyone can do that will make you more or less “spiritual” than another person. Sure, there are things that may seem to be that way, like working as a missionary overseas or as a pastor compared to driving a cab or working as a CEO. But aren’t they both the Lord’s work if we are believers in him? What makes one more “godly” than the other? What makes one “ministry” and the other “secular?” Are not our whole lives supposed to be a ministry to other people? Let’s just throw words like “ministry” and “secular” out of our vocabulary. There is no separating the two – Jesus is part of everything we do whether in or out of the church.
Ok. Let’s get back on track here. Let’s be honest, don’t we usually try to designate time either in the early morning or late-night hours? Two of the most inopportune moments of our day.
It’s ok not to wake up at 5 am to spend time with Jesus. Think of it this way – if you were going on a date with someone, would 5 am be ideal? Probably not. For most of us, we are barely awake then. The same thing goes for right before bedtime. You’re tired, and reading the Bible for the majority of us will put us to sleep. I know it does for me – I just can’t take in such thought-provoking information when my brain is half-dead from a hard day’s work.
What would I suggest otherwise?
Here are my thoughts.
It wasn’t until my husband introduced me to the concept of “consistency” that my personal relationship with Jesus began to take a shift. He introduced me to the idea that instead of spending an hour with God once a week (which is what I would usually do), it was better to spend 5 minutes every day completely focused on him.
If you don’t work from home or get to make your own schedule like we do, I would suggest taking 5 minutes a day during your lunch hour to open your Bible, listen to a Podcast (Some of my favorites – “My Crazy Bible” by Tim Mackey, “Judah Smith,” “Erwin McManus,”), read a book on faith (Like “My Utmost,” “Captivating,” ”Loveology,” “Garden City,” “Gods at War,” “The Circle Maker,” “For the Love,” “Crazy Love,” “God Has a Name,”), or go for a walk and just talk to God. Tell him about your day, what you’re struggling with, what exciting things have happened. Lay down your burdens or take in the scenery around you and thank him for creating such beautiful works of art.
If lunchtime doesn’t work for you, take a look at your schedule and decide when you will devote just 5 minutes a day. You can increase it from there if you think you can keep it steady. Remember, it’s all about consistency.
So enough of the guilt trips. There is nothing anywhere that says you have to spend so many hours or so many minutes with God in order for him to deem you worthy. He says you already are worthy. But in order to start diving into an intimacy with Jesus that you’ve never experienced before, your time with him must be consistent. That is what is going to make the biggest difference in your life.
God isn’t counting the minutes; he just wants to be with you. Whether for 5 minutes or 5 hours.
What do you find is the hardest thing about making God a priority?
I’d love to hear in the comments below!
All my Love,
