Making Time for God
Do you ever feel that you are so busy coping with the pressures of life that it is a struggle to make time to spend with God? A woman's work is never done. It can be hard juggling everything that needs to be done, looking after children, spending time with your husband/family, catching up with friends, cleaning the house, doing the shopping, ironing, pressures at work, doing jobs at church etc. I try to be organized and write a list of jobs that I need to do, and I take great delight in crossing them off when they are completed. But often it seems that just as one list is finished, I need to write another even longer one! It can be very discouraging! Many times, we can feel that there isn't enough time in the day to get everything done. Time. It is something we all treasure, something we wish we had more of, but it just seems to slip so quickly through our fingers. I find myself thinking sometimes if only I had time I would.... spend more time in prayer and reading the Bible, helping people etc. It is at these times that I find I need to assess my priorities. What should my focus be each day? My main aim as a Christian should be serving God and putting him first no matter what I am doing. Jesus said there are two important commandments ... 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-38) How can we do this? I believe the most important way to do this is by remembering these commandments in all we do. Firstly, we need to love God with all our heart, soul and mind. If we love God with all our heart then we will want to spend time with Him and give Him the best times of our day. Start the day committing it to God in prayer and asking for his help and guidance throughout the day. A poem that I sometimes read and it always encourages me is called The Difference. I have included it below ...
The Difference
I got up early one morning
And rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish
That I didn't have time to pray. .
Problems just tumbled about me,
And heavier came each task. '
Why doesn't God help me?' 'I wondered.'
He answered, 'You didn't ask.' .
I wanted to see joy and beauty,
But the day toiled on, grey and bleak;
I wondered why God didn't show me,
He said, 'You didn't seek.' .
I tried to come into God's presence;
I used all my keys at the lock.
God gently and lovingly chided,
'My child, you didn't knock.' .
I woke up early this morning,
And paused before entering the day;
I had so much to accomplish,
That I had to take time to pray.
Anonymous