We’re having a bit of a challenge right now, with both some “normal” life stresses (like moving), and some extended family stresses of a more serious nature.
And has often happened throughout my life, I’ve allowed circumstances to get between me and my time with God. And I must say I have never felt the loss more keenly. Having built some good habits in this direction, letting them lapse is letting myself down. I long to get back to a less bumpy road where that time is prioritized, and honestly I am not back there yet.
But an article a few months back from one of my favorite fellow Substack authors, Pastor Rich Bitterman, gave me some unexpected comfort. (I highly recommend his blog Old Paths & New Roads.) It was entitled Your Bible Is Not Boring. You Are Starving.
That title alone is what, somewhat perversely, offered comfort. Because I already know the Bible is not boring — not when read in context regularly. Everything, even those long lists of genealogies, offer meaning to those willing to sit with a passage and dig into it. God gave us every single part of His book for a reason.
But Pastor Bitterman’s title also reminded me that I was choosing to starve myself. I was making a daily choice to minimize time with my Lord, in that “all-or-nothing” way so many of us struggle with.
He wasn’t addressing that perfectionist flaw in his article — people like me silly enough to starve ourselves at times — but some of the same principles applied:
Most Christians do not lose their appetite for Scripture because the Bible is dull, but because their souls have been trained to snack on weaker things all day.
Just like you could stuff yourself with Doritos and die from lack of nutrition, what are you stuffing yourself with instead of the Living Word of God?
A few reminders if you are a child of God
Knowing God and obeying God is — big picture — your entire reason for existence.
You cannot obey Him without knowing Him.
Therefore, knowing God should be one of two primary objectives of your life.
Does your daily life reflect this?
If not, why not?
Is it a short pause like I’m struggling with now? An attitude that if you can’t have a leisurely unfettered time with God, you might as well just skip it? I say this as someone who can type this and feel the fool for having fallen for it again.
But I’d really like to talk to those of you who have never tasted the joy and satisfaction of regular time deeply in the Word and prayer. Or people who haven’t been there in years.
Or — more sobering — are you just never getting around to cracking open your Bible at all? Maybe you’re not even going to church. Those two bad habits feed off each other.
So let’s talk about what you may be doing instead?
Working? You hit the ground running every day with your long list of to-do’s and never enough time to do them? The last thing you need is someone making your list longer by making you feel guilty about your lack of time with God, right?
Wrong. Feel guilty. Because to continue the analogy, putting work/vocation in the driver’s seat of your life is feeding yourself those Doritos. Meantime you’re dying for lack of nutrition.
Change your priorities. Why? Scroll back up to “a few reminders if you are a child of God.” Because if you are a child of God, you are not walking how you should walk.
What else is stealing His time? Too exhausted in the evening? Zoning out in front of the TV every single night? This is your “me” time?
NO. This is your “me” time:
Your words were found, and I ate them,
And Your words became for me joy and gladness in my heart,
For I have been called by Your name,
O Yahweh God of hosts. — Jeremiah 15:16
If part of your busyness and distraction is your children, this is even more critical. They need to see you walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Examples speak volumes. Change your ways.
This goes double if you’re a dad. God’s given you a special role to lead your family spiritually (which includes your wife). Taking them to church is a minimum. Letting them see your personal devotion to time with the Savior is crucial. Share with them what you’re studying and encourage them to do the same with you.
If you’re failing in this area, seek the Lord with a repentant heart. He wants nothing more deeply that for you to know Him, and He will help you carve out a plan, and will strengthen you to follow through.
Don’t delay.
Remember what you’re here for.
And do it. Because when you prioritize your relationship with God, you will find it to be life-giving, attitude-changing, and a (perhaps unexpected?) absolute joy. Joy you will miss if you fall away.
So hurry back.