Sometimes we can be going along in life and everything seems to be flowing pretty well. Yea, there are little bumps here and there but they work themselves out without a hitch. But then there are those moments we go through things and we feel as if we have gone through the wringer.
A few days ago at where I am working we were sending these little papers through a folding machine. When the piece went through one section it was folded in half and then when it went through another section it got folded in half again. The papers were so small. It was either at the minimum or just below the minimum that the machine could handle. We would get on a roll and it would be going very smoothly and then all the sudden a piece would go wrong and it would jam. When one piece got caught wrong, there were several other pieces that would come behind and make a real mess before the machine could be shut off. When the papers were pulled out they were very crumpled or torn up and not usable. It took some time to clean up the mess and then start again.
It made me think about how our lives can be when we lean toward the minimum. When we spend minimum time with God, minimum time in prayer, and possibly no time in hiding His Word in our hearts. When the rough times come it really eats us up. We get torn and bruised. We may go through the same trials and hardships whether we are minimizing or maximizing our time with God but the outcome is different.
Believe me, you are not alone in this. I have minimized so many times through my life it can be frustrating. I ask myself, “What is your problem?” It seems like a no-brainer but we can tend to forget. We are no different from the children of Israel, in ancient times. I know I have read the story and I have thought many times how stupid could they be. And then I have to think again and I know I am not any different. The Lord did so many miracles in their journey but all they could see was the hardships.
It is so easy to minimize. The question is, “How do I keep myself from minimizing?” There are no easy answer, or just fall into place answers, it takes making a decision and sticking with it. It takes purposing in our hearts to not minimize. The devil is going to find ways to keep you from having the time to spend with God.
Here are 4 tips that I have used that has helped me.
- Ask God to wake you in the morning. I have found that God has no problem waking me when I should get up. Now I still have to obey. There have been times that I have thought, “I will just lay here a little longer and pray.” Bad, bad, bad idea. I end up going back to sleep. The amazing part is that when God wakes me up I am wide-awake. But when I don’t listen and end up falling back to sleep, when I do get up, I feel tired and I do not have the same strength through the day, even though I still spend time with God. Obey God and get up.
- Make sure to have a planned routine. This is really important. If you just haphazardly try to do something, it will not last. You have to have a plan. A plan of prayer, what you plan to memorize, and what you are going to read. Spending time in God’s Word is important. Maybe you want to get a plan to read your Bible through in a year. There are several plans out there you could use. Here is one suggestion: http://oneyearbibleonline.com. I haven’t actually used this plan but it looks like a good direction. You can choose to read a chapter out of four different books each day so you don’t get bogged down in Leviticus or Deuteronomy.
- Write down what you have learned. Instead of just reading, write down something each day that was an encouragement, something new you didn’t know, or something that is just fascinating. Keep things alive by making it practical for your life.
- Journal. I have not always journaled but it seems that journaling about our days, what we are going through, and God’s blessings, can be a blessing. And when we forget how God has led us we can look back more easily and remember as we read through our journal. You can also do this in prayer form as well. These are not exhaustive by any means but just some of the practical things that have helped me.
Dear Father,
Thank You for Your goodness. For Your willingness to even awaken us for the time with You. I long for the time when we can be together with You forever. Continue to walk beside us and prompt us to spend that time with You.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Remember that Jesus longs to have time with You. It is through this time, building a relationship with Him, that will help you to overcome and manage the trials of each day.
Love you all.
Have you struggled with finding the time to spend with God? What have you done to keep it going in your life? I would love to hear your ideas.