Recently, a survey went out to the readers of the Young Wives Club, asking them to share with us the topics that they would most like to see covered on the site. Two answers which both ranked very high on the list centered around “finding time to be with the Lord” and “including the Lord in your everyday life, throughout the day”. I thought I would combine the two and do my best to share what I hope will be both edifying encouragement and practical help on these really important topics.
5 Things to Remember When it Comes to Spending Time with the Lord
- Remember that you already have all the time you need to do exactly that which you want (and have been called by God!) to do.
Any talk on the topic of spending time with the Lord must begin with focusing at the heart. It has been said that we make time for that which is important to us, and I find that to be absolutely true. I read a very convicting quote recently which made the point that instead of saying “I don’t have time.”, we should say, “That isn’t a priority.” Instead of saying, “I don’t have time to be in God’s Word or to spend time with Him”, say “It’s not a priority for me to be in God’s Word or to spend time with Him.”
It hurts when you say it that way, doesn’t it? But the pain is worth it because you need to ask yourself – do you really want to spend time with the Lord? If so, you will find the time to do so. We can trust that our sovereign, all-wise, all-powerful God did not make a mistake when He intentionally placed 24 hours into each day. If you can’t seem to find the time to be with the Lord on a daily basis, it might be because you are spending that time on pursuits of far less lasting importance.
- Remember that it is not something you “have” to do, it is something you “get” to do.
Here, again, is where the heart perspective is so important. If we view time with the Lord in a legalistic, Pharisaical way as something we have to check off the list in order to be “good Christians”, we have missed the boat entirely. The amazing truth is that the whole purpose of the Bible is that the God of the Universe might reveal Himself to us. Jesus prayed in John 17:3 about His ultimate goal for us – “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” It’s all about a relationship; it’s all about the privilege we have to intimately know the Lord Who made us! It is by no means a drudgery. It is specifically when we begin to view time with the Lord as merely an item on our to-do list of drudgery that we begin to put it on the back burner, lacking any passion whatsoever to actually spend sweet time with Him. A right perspective changes everything.
We likewise need to remember, however, that time with the Lord is not optional if we want to live a victorious life in Christ; it is precisely what equips us to do so. This realization also helps us stop viewing time with God as something we just have to cross of the to-do list. Rather, that time with the Lord becomes exciting, purposeful, and encouraging when we remember that it equips us for every moment of every day. Second Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The fact of the matter is that if we are not regularly in the Word of God, spending time with Him and seeking to know Him more, we are ill-equipped for our daily lives. We have good works the Lord has prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10), but we will not be equipped to do them if we are not spending time with Him.
To read the other 3 tips as well as a list of ideas for how to make time to be in the Word, head on over to the Young Wives Club!
