I don’t think it’s a stretch to say we’ve all been there. Saying yes to too much, and now you’re scrambling to do it all. Leaving out what we know matters most: sitting at the feet of Jesus like Mary in Luke 10:42.
We might not complain to Jesus that our sister is not helping us cook like Martha in Luke 10:40.
For us today it might look like lashing out at our friends, parents or spouses. Yelling at the car in front of you who’s driving a tad too slow. It can even look like getting frustrated with God why He won’t “help you get it all done.”
God is NOT our personal assistant, only there when we need something from Him. God desires you to give it over to Him. 1 Peter 5:7 says we can CAST all anxiety on Him.
He never called for us to do it all. We are called to grow in a relationship with Him. The key to any relationship is time spent together. In our human relationships and friendships we have to spend time with a person to truly grow in an intimate relationship with them. This is how we build a relationship with Jesus.
I push God away when I get too busy or when He doesn’t fill my expectations of how we should work. In my friendships, I have a self-destructive tendency to push others away for the same reasons.
I’ve made progress not because I’m so great but because God is. God’s revealed so much to me this year as I’ve spent more consistent time with Him. I’ve grown much stronger in my relationship with God by showing up without expectation or whether or not I feel like it.
My identity is being more rooted in Christ and this has translated to every aspect of my life. This can be true for you too!
These are just some tangible tips to take into your quiet time and carry into your life to keep your identity rooted in Christ amidst the craziness of life.
- Get a bible reading plan.
Having a yearly bible plan has kept me more accountable to staying in His word. I’m reading the chronological version on Christianity.com. In the mornings you show up and you don’t have to flip through your bible figuring out what you should read. It’s already predetermined. It’s the quiet time equivalent of setting out your clothes the night before work so you don’t have to make a decision first thing in the morning.
- Read bible commentaries
There is commentary inside my bible, but sometimes I like to dig into context and truly see what a passage is saying. I like to use online commentaries such as enduringword.com, biblehub.com, and the First Five app.
- Get a prayer journal
This isn’t necessarily to write out long prayers. You can use this type of journal to write out bullet points to guide your prayers you can stay more focused and in tune with your conversation with Him. You can also go back and see how He’s moved in your life.
- Praise and worship music!!!
Worship humbles our hearts and aligns our spirit with His. You can do this in the car on the way to work or as you’re getting ready or both!
There’s no exact formula for how to spend time with the Lord. The amount of time, what you read, what you sing are not as important as just showing up daily. He is waiting for us to get to know His voice!
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)
God bless // love brits
Britney Froese 