Today’s Reading: Matthew 6:33, 1 Peter 2:2
The idea of spending time praying, journaling, reading scripture, etc. can be a bit intimidating. Even for seasoned Christians it can feel overwhelming to fit time into your daily schedule to devote to God. Often what is intimidating is that it seems like it will take a lot of time when many of us have little to spare. Sometimes when we miss out on spending time with God, we feel like we have failed and want to give up. However, it should look more like when we miss a meal. We don’t give up and say “I missed a meal, I mind as well give up on eating.” No! Instead, we just eat at the next opportunity we’re given. That is how daily devotion works. We aim to spend time daily with God, but he does not expect perfection from us, instead he desires for us to be hungry for more of him.
That is the beautiful thing about a relationship with God. He is not looking for you to spend a certain amount of time with him daily; he is just looking for you to spend quality time with him. It’s the idea of quality versus quantity. Quality time refers to the caliber of the time we invest, and quantity time refers to the amount of time we spend. True intimacy and growth with God is developed during quality time with him. It is about progress not perfection and will look a little different for each person. You might find that it is best to read your Bible at night after everyone in your house is asleep so you can fully absorb the words without distraction. You might pray out loud in your car on your lunch break because that’s the time when you can most easily focus on talking with God. Or maybe you listen to worship music as a form of prayer and conversation to God because music is how you connect with him most. Whatever it looks like for you, each time you put in the effort to connect with God, learn his Word, and understand his heart, the stronger your relationship with him will be.
As you walk through different seasons or times of your life, you may notice that the way you live out the rhythm of daily devotion will look different. As a retiree or empty nester you may find yourself with more time than you have had in years prior as you spend time with God. If you are a college student or a young parent, you may find that your time is limited. Neither one is better than the other. The time that you are able to invest may look different, but it will yield the same result: growth. Just like in the story of Thomas on Day 1, God is gentle with us and meets us where we are. As we learn to make daily devotion a rhythm in our life we will learn more about who God is as we build a beautiful relationship.
How does the idea of Quality vs. Quantity affect how you have viewed time with God?
How can you make daily devotion a part of your day?
