Work(averaged out over the week) - 6hrs
Eating - 1hr
Sleeping - 6hrs
Watching Television - 1.5 hrs
On the Computer - 2.5 hrs
Socializing - 2hrs
Driving - 30 min
Personal Hygiene(i.e bathing, shaving, brushing teeth, hair, etc) - 30 min
Prayer - 8 min
Bible Reading - 5 min
Time lost to who knows what - 4hrs
I truly am ashamed of the numbers. To think that I spend time with the TV 7:1 over God, with the Computer 11:1, I even spend time keeping up with my hygiene 2:1 over keeping up with my relationship with my Savior.
I pray you crunched the numbers of your daily routine. I'm sure that if you have, chances are you have been shocked by how little time you devote to your God on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
So why do we find it so difficult to give God more than 2 minutes a day? After all, He is the one giving us each moment. We find it so easy to distract ourselves with mindless entertainment and yet we never think to take some time(apart from meals) to simply talk with God. Isn't it strange that no matter how busy we are wer are somehow always able to find time to study up on sports stats, track our favorite teams, catch up on gossip, check our e-mails and facebook, and watch countless and Youtube videos; yet when confronted with a question like "how much time do you spend in God's Word" we are so quick to use the excuse "I'm just too busy." The scary thing is that we actually believe it. We actually convince ourselves that it is our schedule that keeps us from reading the Scriptures. Is it any wonder we so often lack direction, purpose, peace, and joy in our lives? The thing is that probably 85% of us truly do want to become better Christians and strengthen our relationship with God; but that doesn't happen without some effort. It's totally expected that if someone wants to become a doctor they have to go to school and apply themselves to learning. If you want to learn a foreign language you need to study and spend time talking, reading, and writing in that foreign language. If you want to improve your golf game, your cardio endurance, or your Sudoku skills you need to spend time practicing and working through different exercises. So if you truly want to get closer to God; if you genuinely want to become a stronger Christian you have to put in the time in prayer and Bible study.
Joshua 1:8 says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."
God directly commands us to meditate on the scriptures; day and night even. Why? Because God is a mean and strict God who wants to spoil our fun and bore us to death with monotonous daily reading? Absolutely not! But rather because He knows that then and only then will we be truly prosperous and successful; not by the world's standards but by His. You see we can't have peace each day if we never seek the Prince of Peace(Isa. 9:6). We can't hope to have direction if we never ask the One who designed our very existence(Ps. 139:14-16). How can we possibly find shelter and protection from the burdens of this world if we never run to our Strong Tower(Prov. 18:10). How can we find healing from our pain, addictions, and broken hearts without consulting the Healer of our brokenness(Ps. 147:3). And can we ever find the forgiveness we so desperately need each and every day without falling at the feet of our Merciful Savior(I John. 1:9).
So make today the day you vow to change. Make now your turning point. Put in the time. Make the effort. Take the steps. See the change.
No comments:
Post a Comment