Who doesn’t lead a busy life? “Busy” seems to be a stage of life that doesn’t end. Parents of young children juggle 24/7 supervision of their children and jobs. Parents of older children spend the majority of their time chauffeuring their children to extracurricular activities. Young professionals spend late hours at work, learning to adjust to a new way of life.
Regardless of the station in life, the world has led us to believe that being busy is good and normal. It’s equated to productivity and success. But that’s not what the Bible tells us.
If we want to be successful in our walk with God, we are repeatedly told as Christians to be still and reflect upon God. Being still is something our culture doesn’t perpetuate, but it’s a practice God perpetuates. When we are able to quiet ourselves for time with God, free from distractions, we are able to reflect on God’s goodness, holiness, justice, love, and righteousness. We are able to glean important lessons from the Scriptures and we have the ability to maintain our focus when we pray.
Think about the environment you spend your prayer and reading time in. If you have too many distractions, make the effort to find a time where you know that you most likely won’t be bothered by outsiders. Instead of focusing on the busy aspect of life, take time to focus on freeing yourself from all distractions when spending time in the Word and in prayer. You may notice the infinite difference it makes!
Dear Lord, please help me so I can focus on the most important thing in life - spiritual discipline. Allow me to be free from distractions as I go to you in the Word and in prayer. Amen.
Go Deeper — Stick to the pattern of spending “still” time daily for at least a month. Make note of the difference in the quality of time spent before and after you started “being still.” What has God shown you?
Photo Credit: Robson Hatsukami Morgan