God has been trying to teach me something for a while. I think it has finally come to some coherent words that I thought might be worth sharing with you. Please take note that everything I say to ‘you’ I am also saying to myself.
Let’s start with some questions. How’s your walk with God? Do you read the Bible every day? Do you spend some quiet time in prayer and in listening for God’s word to you? Do you think about your Creator and Savior throughout the day? These are some questions that have been punching me in the face recently. I have been struggling greatly with consistent personal devotion and quiet time with God. The Spirit has been hot on my trail, convicting me of this blemish in my life. I feel like it’s best to start your day with God. Get up in the morning, get your coffee going and dive into God’s word. Spend some time praying before taking off into the lunacy known as the workday. Sadly though, I am not a morning person. This is not my hour of extreme productivity or consciousness. So, I ignore God in the morning. I might think of God during the workday here or there. When I make it to the evening and the time is not already filled up, I still ignore God. I selfishly want to do what I want to do, or I simply just don’t feel like taking the effort to engage him. Is this a struggle you share? Perhaps, you read the Bible, but only to check the box. I find myself struggling with this as well. Have you ever had this thought: “I don’t need to have devotions today because it’s Sunday and church counts for that.” Wow. Did I really just say to myself that I don’t need to spend intimate time with the Sovereign Creator of all the universe who seeks and pursues me daily in fervent, divine romance? Yes, yes I did say that. Do say that.
So, what am I waiting for? What are you waiting for? As previously mentioned, I am getting married this summer. One thought I have entertained is that when I’m married I’ll suddenly be more diligent and push myself and have the discipline to spend time with God. What makes you think that, moron? Why would you suddenly be more Godly out of nowhere, without having put Godliness into practice? Well, I’ll be in a new house and I’ll have new habits and schedules and spaces and… Right, keep telling yourself that. All that will make a huge difference in your spirituality. What happens when you get to that point? What will be your reason for not giving God the priority then? I don’t have an answer to that. The time is now. Life is too important to let it fly by while I bask in inaction and shallow Christianity. The people whose paths I will cross are too important. The work that God intends me to do is too important. Heck, I’m a Father and soon to be a Husband. How can I expect to successfully be either without desperately chasing after God? I yearn to raise a Godly son who will follow God all his days and not repeat his father’s mistakes. I yearn to be a Godly husband and leader of my house. I yearn to love my wife as Christ loves the church and to give myself up for her and quite frankly, spoil her rotten in love, affection and selfless giving of myself.
The time is now. Fervent devotion to God cannot wait any longer. It’s not only my life and well-being counting on it. I need God. Do you?
