It's Not Complicated
Sometimes, I tend to complicate even the simplest things in life. I guess you could say it's my "toxic trait," as many jokingly call it these days. I have a tendency to take a minor issue, overthink it, worry about it, and then turn it into something much larger than it originally was. Maybe you can relate to this... or maybe you don't think you do. But I'm willing to bet we've all been guilty of this at some point.
Let's consider procrastination and why we often avoid our responsibilities for as long as possible. What causes us to postpone things, even when the task turns out to be easier than we anticipated? Often, it's because we've exaggerated the difficulty in our minds and made a mountain out of a molehill.
This is what I often do with my quiet time with Jesus. Somewhere along the way, I’ve created these unrealistic expectations for this time, expectations that require more time and effort than some days will allow. Because it seems so impossible, I may push it off to another day. Maybe tomorrow will be less busy, or I’ll get up an hour earlier in the morning to fit it in. I’ve believed the lie that if it’s not always a deep-dive in the Word, then it’s just not good enough. But that’s not true.
“Come close to God, and He will come close to you.” - James 4:8 NASB
All God tells us to do is to come close to Him, spend time with Him. He doesn’t say, “Spend an hour reading your Bible and praying, and I will come close to you.” He doesn’t say, “Do a Bible Study analyzing each book of the Bible and looking up every word in Greek, and I will come close to you.” No, He says, “Come close to me, and I will come close to you.” He simply wants to spend time with us.
It’s great if we are able to deep-dive into a book-by-book Bible Study; and at some point, we should make an effort to dig deeper into the Word to strengthen our Christian walk. But having that expectation for ourselves each day can paralyze us with the fear we cannot live up to it.
JOURNAL: Have you ever signed up for a Small Group or Bible Study and quit before it ever even started? What is a lie you’ve believed that has hindered your ability to spend time with God?
We have to push past the unrealistic expectations, silence the lies of the enemy, and find ways to spend time with God in whatever way we can. Small steps yield big rewards.
ACTIVATION: Think of ways you can form a habit of spending time with God each day, even if only 5-10 minutes, and start by implementing one this week. Here are some ideas:
PRAYER: God, I’m sorry for making my time with You so complicated and allowing it to keep me from drawing close to You. Help me set aside my expectations, because You have none, and simply sit in Your presence. Amen
Let's consider procrastination and why we often avoid our responsibilities for as long as possible. What causes us to postpone things, even when the task turns out to be easier than we anticipated? Often, it's because we've exaggerated the difficulty in our minds and made a mountain out of a molehill.
This is what I often do with my quiet time with Jesus. Somewhere along the way, I’ve created these unrealistic expectations for this time, expectations that require more time and effort than some days will allow. Because it seems so impossible, I may push it off to another day. Maybe tomorrow will be less busy, or I’ll get up an hour earlier in the morning to fit it in. I’ve believed the lie that if it’s not always a deep-dive in the Word, then it’s just not good enough. But that’s not true.
“Come close to God, and He will come close to you.” - James 4:8 NASB
All God tells us to do is to come close to Him, spend time with Him. He doesn’t say, “Spend an hour reading your Bible and praying, and I will come close to you.” He doesn’t say, “Do a Bible Study analyzing each book of the Bible and looking up every word in Greek, and I will come close to you.” No, He says, “Come close to me, and I will come close to you.” He simply wants to spend time with us.
It’s great if we are able to deep-dive into a book-by-book Bible Study; and at some point, we should make an effort to dig deeper into the Word to strengthen our Christian walk. But having that expectation for ourselves each day can paralyze us with the fear we cannot live up to it.
JOURNAL: Have you ever signed up for a Small Group or Bible Study and quit before it ever even started? What is a lie you’ve believed that has hindered your ability to spend time with God?
We have to push past the unrealistic expectations, silence the lies of the enemy, and find ways to spend time with God in whatever way we can. Small steps yield big rewards.
ACTIVATION: Think of ways you can form a habit of spending time with God each day, even if only 5-10 minutes, and start by implementing one this week. Here are some ideas:
- Read these devotionals. Subscribe below, if you haven’t already!
- Find a devotional book that makes it easy. A new one I’m loving is Unfiltered by Cleere Cherry Reaves.
- Follow along with the Opendoor Bible Reading Plan, found on the Opendoor App. You can even listen to these read aloud as you clean, exercise, or drive to work.
- Find devotional plans on the Bible App.
- Listen to worship music and practice soaking in His presence.
- Pray as you’re driving to work in the morning.
PRAYER: God, I’m sorry for making my time with You so complicated and allowing it to keep me from drawing close to You. Help me set aside my expectations, because You have none, and simply sit in Your presence. Amen
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