Life is busy. The list of of every day commitments and necessities is endless: phone calls to make, clothes to launder, church events to attend. There are baby showers, doctor appointments, and birthday parties. Dishes to wash, snow to shovel, groceries to buy…

Still, in midst of it all, I rarely miss a meal.

There are two main reasons for this:

1. Hunger. We have built in system for alerting us that our body needs fuel, with painful consequences if we don’t meet those needs.

2. Health. I know I need to eat well in order to stay strong, perform at my best, and feel good physically.

Satisfying our hunger and attending to our physical needs is important and worthy. There’s no doubt about that.

But what about our spiritual needs?

I usually spend some time reading the Bible or a devotional book, or journaling, in the morning before I get out of bed, and I usually read at least a few verses before I go to sleep. But some nights, as I lay my head on my pillow, I realize, though I’ve talked to God as I’ve gone about my day, I haven’t taken time to read the Bible and focus solely on Him.

I wouldn’t go a whole day without eating. So why do I sometimes go a whole day without at least 15 minutes of attention focused completely on God and His Word?

When a day passes that I haven’t taken time for God, it reveals that, on that day, on some level, I didn’t see it as a priority. The cares of life took precedence.

But the reality is, feeding on the word of God and soaking up His presence are even more vital than our daily meals. Food alone is not enough to sustain us. Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man is not to live on bread only. Man is to live by every word that God speaks’” (Matthew 4:4 NLV).

We cannot function the way we are designed to without consistent connection to our Creator.

When we neglect time with God, we allow ourselves to enter a weakened state. Our souls start to wither and our spiritual sensitivity diminishes. Cut off from our source, the fruit of the Spirit can’t mature in our lives the way we want it to.

If we desire to grow in God, we really need to make the time to be with Him on a consistent basis. To read the Bible, talk to Him, to direct our hearts and minds to His presence in our everyday.

Just as our bodies perform best on a consistent schedule of meals at regular, daily intervals, rather than one big meal per week, our spirits thrive when we feed our souls the word of God on a daily basis.

I know making this happen isn’t always easy.

No matter who you are and what your season is, there are likely a myriad of things pulling for you attention. Some of them, like caring for children, may be non-negotiable. But while we all have own our version of non-negotiables, there are also some negotiables mixed in there too. Consider taking a moment to take stock of what has to be done, versus what would be good to get done but will be OK if it doesn’t. Can that phone call be postponed? Can you leave the laundry till tomorrow? Can you sit out a social event?

We must ask ourselves, “What do I really want?” Do I want to thrive in my relationship with God? Do I really hunger for His presence? Do I want learn to ever more recognize His voice? Do I want to receive His wisdom and guidance? Do I want to partner with Him in changing my corner of the world?

If so, we must be as attentive in satisfying our spiritual needs as we are in eating breakfast or dinner. We must feed ourselves a steady diet of His presence and His Word. There is no substitute. Without it, we will never fulfill the purpose and potential He has created us for.

I know the time issue can be tough. And I by no means think we need to be perfect or legalistic about this. There are going to be days when the chaos of life leaves no quiet time. That’s OK. But those should be the exception, not the norm.

I hope this encourages you, and please know I’m writing to myself as much as anyone! The importance of consistent time with God has been heavy on my heart this week. I feel like God has been extra impressing me with the importance of finding ways to stay connected to our life source. The alternative is a life of limp branches and languishing fruit. A life that is a pale version of the vibrant life I believe, deep down, we all long for.

This week, I’m thanking God that as you seek Him He will reveal simple, creative ways for you to connect with Him, no matter your season. I’m confident He will guide you and meet you when you seek Him. He never tells us to do something that He doesn’t equip us to do. He longs to spend time with you!

Here’s to life with God—a life of joy, wisdom, peace, and purpose!

With love,

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P.S.

Earlier, I mentioned two primary reasons I rarely miss a meal (hunger and health). Another, secondary, reason is that I plan time for them into my day. They are part of my routine, a non-negotiable that is (ideally) going to happen in some form or another at roughly the same time, with only the most urgent events displacing them. The reality is, the things we plan for and book into our routine are the things that actually happen. If you could use some support in determining the best ways to feed yourself spiritually and creating a plan for when and how to spend time with God, I’d love to help! You can click here to learn more.

Meditate

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry. He who puts his trust in Me will never be thirsty.’” John 6:35 NLV

I want to hear from you!

What creative ways have you found to spend time with God and read the Bible? What about this season of life presents a challenge to your time with God? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

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P.P.S.

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