I try to start out my mornings thinking about Him, saying a few prayers, listening to some praise music, and smiling at the thought of the God who made me... but I don't always. Sometimes I'm too tired and hardly think about anything as I get ready for my day. I try to think about God during my car rides and my days at school, but I often forget and become caught up in conversations with friends, stress about upcoming assignments, and worries about the future. There are so many things going on in my life that I often forget to think about or pray to God.
You might feel the same way.
There are so many important things in my life right now. I'm just too busy. I often don't have time to have a real quiet time with God. My schedule is really hectic right now.
Is God so small to us that we can so easily put our silly schedules above spending time with Him?
We have a Creator, a Father, a Savior. We were made to worship Him and yet we forget our purpose in the pursuit of drama-filled friendships and struggles and jobs and grades. Nothing is bigger than God. Nothing is worth putting above God.
There have been times when I've gone to youth group and heard the speech about how if we love our cars or iPods or Facebooks more than anything else, then they may have become an idol in our lives. Perhaps some teens need to hear that speech, but I often would think, "Nah, I could easily give up those things for God. They're only material possessions. They don't really matter."
But have you ever stopped to think that your schedule might have become an idol in your life? Think about it. If you're too busy to stop and think about God, if there is too much going on in your life for you to spend time with God, if you think about yourself and your own problems more than you worship God, then there is a huge problem in your life. You're placing your wants and schedule and priorities above the One who created you and gave His life for you. You're making your priorities and thus yourself an idol.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to pray continually. Another translation of the same verse says for us to pray without ceasing. We were made to think about the Lord constantly. Our purpose is to glorify Him, not to focus on our own schedules.
Putting God above our schedules is much easier said than done. Life is a big thing and when it gets in the way, it's tough to push it down and say, "No, it's God time right now." Placing God at the top of your priority list is a difficult habit to create, but it's time to start trying.
Remember to have some sort of a quiet time with God every single day. Take a slice out of your schedule to spend time with your Father and worship Him. Talk to Him. Remember Him. Jesus Christ suffered and died for you. The least you can do is spend some time with Him.
I wonder if it makes God sad when He is so frequently shoved into a ten or fifteen minute slot out of a day that lasts twenty-four hours. "Okay, God. I've given you a fifteen minute quiet time today. Are You happy now? Isn't that good enough?" God is not small. He is not insignificant. He is life-consuming. He should be the center of our existence.
Memorize 1 Thessalonians 5:17. It isn't that difficult. It's two or three words long, depending on what translation you use. Memorize that verse and use it. Hide it in your heart. Spend some alone time with God each day, yes, but as you move through your busy schedule, talk to God. Think about Him. Let Him fill your thoughts and transform the way you live your life. When you're consumed with the Lord, your words and actions and heart will change. You'll glorify God with the way you live, and that's how it's meant to be.
God is not small. Don't make Him small in your life.
I think I really needed to hear this. Thanks, Emily. (:
ReplyDelete