Original Posting At http://jedipastorken.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-one-thing-you-arent-doing-to-know.html
We are a generation of doers. Doing things ranks high on our list. Now, those things don’t have to be actually productive, in fact, it may well be our doing has little to show for it. There are easy targets to pick on, such as Netflix and Facebook. And there are those we take for granted because they are part of society, like spending a day watching football all the way through or watching soap operas. Are there more? Of course, there are but this is merely a starting point, a place meditate…
What are you doing regularly that has nothing to show for it?
What does this have to do with the number one thing keeping us from a meaningful and fulfilling relationship with God? It’s this, for all our excuses for not having time for God, we fill our lives with empty hours, time spent on lesser things.
I am convinced the number one thing keeping you from the kind of relationship you say you want to have with God is you are filling your day with lesser things. You and I are influenced in the most subtle of ways, to do “our things” we only give God time, maybe, for one hour each week. Some of you won’t even do that.
Simon Tugwell, monk and author, wrote, “If the basic reason why God is crowded out of our lives is simply that we want to be God ourselves, then it must be so, that the very first point of conversion will be, in however small a way, to stop being God, and so leave room for God to be God.” (Prayer: Living with God, 34). It seems to me, the greatest battles of spiritual warfare are not regarding demonic possession but the ones between our “old self” and “new self.”
I am convinced making time with God is the first-best step of spiritual formation. It is a response to God’s grace and it is a concrete way to put your trust in God. Making specific time with God is something Jesus did as a regular habit. Mark writes, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” (Mark 1:35, ESV) The pattern of the early church and godly men and women through the centuries is marked by a similar attentiveness to setting aside time for God.
So if you are ready to make this simple shift in your day, don’t wait till New Year’s, do it now. Here are three helps to guide you as you make time for God:
1. Pick a time of day.
What time of day works for you? When do you have the most flexibility and when you are the most rested?
2. Find a spot.
I’ve have found spots like my office, my recliner, on my patio, at a campfire, and more. You need to pick where it works best for you.
3. Use the clock.
Keep the time short, even 5 minutes can be plenty. I make 1 minute meditations every week on YouTube that you can use too. Don’t feel like you need an hour! The goal here is set aside the time.
You won’t grow spiritually until you make time for the Spirit to grow. If it is your desire to take the next step, then don’t wait. There is no better time than right now to reorient your life to God. Make time and make it right now!
May I Suggest?
Pull out your calendar, whatever one you use the most and make a spot for an “appointment with God.” You could write “phone call with the big guy” or something. Get it in your calendar and reminder for the next month and see how things are working. If you need help, feel free to email me at jedipastorken(a)gmail.com
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