A very common question people ask me that I think many of us can relate to is something along the lines of “How do I stay devoted to God when life gets busy?”. I’m sure we’re all very familiar with a busy day. When there’s a lot of homework to do, long hours at work, several appointments/meetings, people to manage, food to cook, things to clean, tasks to accomplish, etc. and by the end of it you just want to take a break! I get it! It seems like our day is already consumed with so much, and it can feel impossible to make time for God.
Believe me when I say that I am very familiar with this feeling, and I wish I could tell you that I’ve got it all figured out. Some days I’m really on top of things, and you can find me spending time with the Lord every morning in His Word and in prayer. Other days… ehhhh not so much… When I wake up late, feel rushed, or simply forget, I neglect to spend time with Him, and I always regret it. I’m totally with you when it comes to feeling too busy!
In any relationship it’s important that the connection goes both ways, right? If you want good friendships, dating relationships, familial relationships, etc., both people have to commit to the relationship. We hit a rough patch in our relationships when one person backs down, and the same thing happens in our relationship with God. & can you guess who backs down in that relationship?? I’ll give you some hints:
- “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2
- “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8
- “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” Hebrews 13:8
- “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” Malachi 3:6
If you guessed that God is unmovable, and we’re the ones who move, you are 100% correct! So, when we’re feeling distant, it’s because we walked away from the relationship. This doesn’t mean that we’re not Christians! It just means that we need to reconnect with our Savior. My dad explains it to me by saying that as Christians sometimes we “turn down the volume” on the Lord’s voice. He’s still there, and He’s still working, but we’re refusing to listen. As Christians we need to “turn up that volume” so the our hearts are in tune with His. You are never too far off, so draw near to the Father! God’s grace is so sufficient, and He is overjoyed when we come back to Him, so return to Jesus, my friend.
This can get tricky when life gets busy, but the reality is that we make time for what we value. If we value social media, we spend a lot of time on social media. In the same way, if we value our relationship with God we should make time for Him. And the alternate of that is also true: you, my friend, are a HIGH priority to the Lord, and He’s always got time for you (: So, let’s set aside intentional time to be with Him daily!
I know this can be hard when we’re busy and tired. I am for sure NOT a morning person (like not even a little haha), but this time with the Lord is still so important. Here’s some tips I’ve learned to help make the most of your time with God in the mornings:
- Try preparing for the next day the night before – Sometimes I’ll pick out my outfit or pack a lunch the night before, so that I have more time in the morning
- Put a sticky note on your clock to remind you to open His Word and pray
- Find a devotional book that you like (I’ve been reading the book “New Morning Mercies” by Paul David Tripp this year, and I LOVE it)
- Start a journal to write in daily
- Find a friend to hold you accountable (like sending each other a text every morning after your alone time with God)
- Create a space for you and God – for example, I can’t spend time with God on my bed because sometimes I accidentally fall asleep haha! I have a spot on my bedroom floor that I go to every morning
- Bring your alone time with God into all parts of your day by listening to worship music in the car, find a good podcast, write out the verse you studied, pray on your way to work/school, etc.
- Memorize God’s Word! – write it done somewhere so you see it every day! I like to write verses on my mirror with a dry erase marker so I see it every day and can change it once I’ve memorized it
I hope you take these practical tips and the encouragement from God’s Word into your alone time with God. It’s so important that we stay committed in our relationship with God even when things get busy.
You are so loved <3