Did you know that just to maintain any kind of intimate relationship, statistics show that you have to spend 15 hours a week focused completely on that relationship...and that is just to maintain!
As I think through the relationships that I would consider "intimate" i.e. God, wife, kids I am forced to think through my time priorities and time management or lack thereof. Beck and I set a goal of 12 hours last week with no kids, no tv, no other people just us focused on each other and man was it hard to do! I am not a good "talker" but we both noticed a huge difference in our relationship.
As I shift that same principle to my relationship with God I see problems. I am not sitting with God just He and I as often as I would like to think. I use my sermon prep time and count that or times I pray for/with other people and I count that or time I spend in the Word and count that but that time is not focused on God alone. Rarely do I sit in the presence of God and not do anything. Rarely is that time focused on God and me and I know why...it is uncomfortable to be bare in front of Him and let Him look at and love me the way He does.
I have a new goal to set now, if I want intimacy with God. If I want to truly experience Him and everything that He is.
What is the total time you spend with God just you and Him not focused on anything else but being real in front of Him and being with Him?
I bet you are like me...we desire intimacy with God but we aren't "puttin in the time". My goal for this week is 5 hours. 5 hours of nothing but me and God. No Scripture, no prayers for others, no singing, nothing ministry related... just me and God......what is your goal gonna be?
2 comments:
Wow! Satan really knows how to stop intimacy then by keeping us busy. He doesn't have to get us to do "wrong" things. Just keep us busy and unable to do the right things.
Michael, I echo your comments completely and thank you for your honesty. I also say I desire a deeper relationship with God above all things (and I do), but when I analyze my use of time, are my actions measuring up to my words? Most of the time they do not.
I recently read something by Oswald Chambers that I actually printed off and taped to my monitor that kind of relates to this very topic. This is what he said: "Beware of anything that competes with loyalty to Jesus Christ. The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him. It is easier to serve than to be drunk to the dregs. The one aim of the call of God is the satisfaction of God, not a call to do something for Him. We are not sent to battle for God, but to be used by God in His battlings. Are we being more devoted to service than to Jesus Christ?"
Like you said Michael, often I feel more comfortable "doing" things for Him rather than "being" with Him. I'm learning that there is a difference. Doing the prior are critical, just not at the expense of the later.
---Mike McEniry
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