"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Joshua 1:8
As many of you probably saw, I did not post last week. Too swamped with the logistics of life, I did not have - or make - the time to sit down, plan, and write out a post about keeping focused during times of trial. Ironic, yeah?
Because a busy life can also be a trial. Not having an obvious block of time to spend with God can be strenuous on the relationship we each are supposed to have with Him. How can we expect to mature and grow as children of God if we don't remind ourselves of the ways to do so? How are we supposed to keep our faith strong if we don't take the time to strengthen it ourselves?
We can't.
We can't expect to be good Sons and Daughters of God if we don't put in the effort. But when our lives are chalk full of other essentials that we can't avoid, how do we juggle both without sacrifices on either side? I've found a few tips that help me - and I'm sharing them in the hopes that they'll help you in your busy lives too.
One thing I’m trying to do is read a chapter of the Bible around the time of each meal of the day. Breakfast is the beginning of our day, and - to start off with the right mindset - a bible reading will have our mind thinking towards the things above as we go about our morning. It's surprising to me how much a single Bible reading changes my perspective on the day.
Sometimes during the weekday, the only time you have off is your lunch break - so why not spend 15 minutes out of the hour and do a Bible over your sandwich? It clears my head for the second half of my day and gets my mind back on godly characteristics and the way I should be acting.
For the final Bible reading, I don't actually do it around dinner time - because usually, that is the busiest, most hectic part of my day. Instead, I save it for about half hour before I go to bed - a happy note to end the day on. I rest easier, knowing God's in control - and I find it easier to speak to Him at the end of the day when I have His word saturating my thoughts and my prayers.
For those of us who may not even be able to find time for a quick chapter during meals or at the end of the day, I have another solution. We all drive - and a lot of the time car trips are what take the most out of our day. So why not listen to an audio version of one of our favorite books of the Bible? Simply being reminded of the actions of our favorite characters - even while multitasking - is a huge help. Another wonderful thing about listening to the Bible, is we don't feel an underlying anxiety f what all we could be getting done at the moment we take to ourselves. Since we're already doing something we have to - driving, or even exercising or making dinner - it has the opposite effect and makes us feel more productive.
But taking a break from all the things we have to do is essential too. When on a break from studying or during a lull in the workday, read or do a bit of Bible study as a relax technique and a way to give your mind a rest. You'll come back rejuvenated and more ready to work.
Another thing I've found helpful is following, pinning, or favoriting a lot of Christian pages and pictures on social media. I spend way too much time on social media - time I should take to spend time with our Father in Heaven. So I began following some Christian inspirational pages, and I find that they help in the small ways. Not a devotional or a Bible reading, but they bring my mind back from the depths of the Internet and onto God and His promises.
But spending time with God doesn't have to be Bible readings. It can simply be time of quiet and personal contemplation or finishing the First Principle lesson you had meant to finish ages ago. And if it is readings, the Daily Bible Readings don't have to be what you follow. I find reading random Psalms or rereading about my favorite characters helps me more that going monotonously through the Bible.
Everyone is different. But the point is we need to spend time getting God and His word into our hearts and minds - and that takes time. Even with schedules filled to the brim, we have to find a way. These are some of mine, and I hope they help you if you're struggling to find the time to talk with God.
In the Hope of Israel,
Mikaelah B
"For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." Psalms 84:10
