We are now a week into the new year. The celebrations are over, teachers and students returned to school, and daily routines are beginning to feel normal once again. People who made resolutions, or set goals, for 2019, are taking the first steps toward breathing life into their new vision, but dreams are fragile in their infancy. Without care, we fall back into old patterns, get distracted, and even give up.

Now is the time to accept that there will be challenges, surprises, and obstacles, to acknowledge that our resolve will be tested. It is also the perfect time to embrace the possibilities awaiting in the year ahead. Whether the new year greeted us with unexpected concerns or we find ourselves enmeshed in the mundane, we can lift our eyes, dream God-sized dreams, and have faith.

The new year did not begin the way I expected. I planned to be on vacation, celebrating the holiday with family. I believed the time away would be refreshing and inspirational. I also believed I would be healthy. Unfortunately, sickness visited our home on Christmas Day, changing our plans, and creating an unplanned staycation. Except for two trips to the pharmacy and grocery store, we spent our vacation in our house.

The circumstances created some disappointment and discouragement, but it also came with hidden opportunities: significant time to catch up on needed rest, time to read several books, and opportunities to capture fresh vision for the year ahead. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it seems it was what I needed. There was temptation to whine in frustration, and I gave in on a few occasions, however, a little holy perspective allowed me to redeem the time. As I reflect on this time of illness, I find an increasing number of blessings and opportunities.

Vacation illness may not be the most significant challenge, but it is a great illustration. Achieving our goals and fulfilling our resolutions will not happen without rising up in the face of resistance, taking our thoughts captive, and embracing the Spirit-filled power to overcome. In the face of my initial obstacles, I added one more goal for this year. In addition to my original dreams, I resolved to savor every day, not because every day will be easy or desirable, but because it will be the day I am given.

Our attitudes and actions may not change our circumstances, but they will change us in, and through, our circumstances. If we stand our ground, if we embrace the call to be strong and courageous, if we keep moving forward, we will accomplish more than we can imagine.

So, the new year is here. What it holds is a mystery, but as we persist in embracing the possibilities, we will discover Jesus’ words to be true, “seek and you will find.” May our search be fruitful and our future blessed as we walk our days by faith.

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The proverb is true, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18) Vision is central living a Spirit-led life. Vision is a powerful motivator, and it helps clarify direction and decisions as we move forward. There truly is power in vision.

It is also true that vision needs to come from the right source. Too often we equate our personal hopes and dreams with divinely inspired vision. When that happens, we can easily find ourselves striving toward something destructive, or typically, something unrealistic. While most of our self-made dreams are not evil, they can be misguided, and pursuing the wrong vision can lead to frustration and disappointment.

While I was in seminary, I spoke to my advisor about some of my disillusionment with church life. She was a wonderful person and an excellent advisor. I knew she would have good insight and put my fears and frustrations to rest. I never expected her response. I told her I was disillusioned and she said, “Good.”

It was one of the few times I was truly speechless. How was this a good thing? I thought she misunderstood me and when I clarified my comment, she gave me the same response. When I asked her how she could say that, she said, “Think about the words you just used. You said you were dis-illusioned. That means you are no longer embracing an illusion, and that is good.”

It took some time for that truth to take hold. I confess, I really wanted her to give me some new insight that would help my dream become reality. Instead, she wanted me to adjust my vision to fit reality. It wasn’t that she didn’t want me to dream big, or to work for something better. Instead, she wanted me to face what is so that I could accurately, and faithfully, embrace a healthy vision for the future.

Real vision is birthed out of reality. Too often, we want to believe that one small change will make everything better. If we just complete our education, get vocational validation, or move to new location, our life will be better, or so we want to believe. We desperately want to embrace a reality that is just an illusion. Things are what they are, but that doesn’t mean things can’t change. Real change, however, can only happen when we accept reality.

One of my favorite quotes from Jesus is, “In this life you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) I love this because Jesus is real. He doesn’t sugarcoat reality, or offer some abstract utopia. He says it like it is. Life will have trouble, but you need to have hope.

True vision never denies reality. It embraces it, and then looks to a future where real change can take place. This is something much more than the common comment, “It is what it is.” That is birthed from a defeatist position. It suggests that there is no hope for change. God-led vision says, “it is what it is, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.”

We need vision, but that vision needs to come from God. Our own dreams may seem plausible, but they are not what they appear. When vision comes from us, it is not grounded in the full picture. However, when it comes from God, is embraces the full reality of what is, and the large picture of what God can do. When we prayerfully let God plant the vision in our hearts and minds, we can see things as they really are, no illusion, and we also see what they can, and should be.

So, today, let’s set aside our wishes and embrace God’s vision. Not only we will find peace in our hearts, but we will begin working for what really can be.

The post What Is, and What Can Be appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:14-15

Choices matter, and they are ours to make.

Today’s post is a little later than usual, and that is a choice. It is not a decision based upon deep research regarding the best time to blog on Thursdays, nor is it founded upon the statistics and insights of the Cafe’s usage. It’s the result of a conscious decision to do something else. Before you find that thoughtless and selfish, please hear me out, and trust me, it is about something much more important than me.

Currently, my wife and I are on vacation. We are enjoying some time away together in the Adirondack Mountains. My normal routine is disrupted for a good reason, and some of my inspiration is emerging while I am here. Normally, my post would be mapped out in advance, and most of my writing done long before the post is due, and yes, I did have something in mind for this morning, but you will get to see that later.

Last night, I was able to spend some quality time playing cards with my wife, and this morning, our coffee conversation was filled with laughter and visioning for our future. Of course, I could have cut those moments short to sit at my laptop, but I chose my relationship over my blog. So now, as my wife prepares for another day of adventure, I have a moment to share with you.

We all make choices, lots of them, everyday. We make decisions about how to use our resources of time, treasure, and talent. Every choice is an investment in something and comes at the cost of something else. Too often, we feel as if we must surrender those choices to someone, or something, else, when the choice is actually ours and ours alone. We can blame family, work, even pressing blog posts, for forcing us to sacrifice important things, but the power of choice belongs to us. Even God does not take that away from us.

Of course, there are consequences to our choices, but that is exactly why we must weigh them out as we make our decisions. Things are expected of us, and many things are necessary, but the final decision rests with us. Will we trade our time for a stronger faith, a healthier family, deeper friendships, and a better world, or will we exchange what we have for a little more wealth, power, and position? Will we choose to serve God and others in Jesus name, or will we serve ourselves and the expectations of the world around us? These are the questions we need to ask, because the impact of our decisions will matter whether we are aware of our motivations or not.

Joshua called upon the nation of Israel to renew their covenant with God. It was an invitation to a choice: choose God, or something else. He did not make the decision for them, he couldn’t. It was their choice to make. What they could not do was avoid the choice. Even choosing not to decide was a choice to avoid choosing God. Joshua spoke the truth to the people, and then he led by example, “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Today, we all have choices to make. Among them, is one of the most important decisions we make. Will we choose to serve the Lord? Will we put God first, above everything else? Will we accept the freedom and power God gives us to choose God?

The decision between strengthening the bond with my wife, or posting my blog before 9:00am was easy. The choice to deny myself and put God first in every aspect of my life is much more challenging, but the consequences of that decision are eternal.

So, as you live this day, the only August 16, 2018, you will ever experience, what, and who, will you choose? The choice is yours. No one else can make it for you. What is your choice?

The post Choice appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

“Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.” – Habakkuk 2:2-3

Twenty-four years ago, God gave me a vision. I was walking to church and I saw it. The image was as clear in my mind and spirit as if it stood before me. I saw the church I pastored, but it looked different. There were additions to the original building and increased parking space. The Church was full of activity. I was not counting people, but everywhere I looked, ministry was happening. I didn’t know what all the ministries were, but I could see people blessed in, and by, the work that was taking place. People were coming and going, and those that left were clearly on a mission. The community, region, and the world were affected by what God was doing.

I was overwhelmed with excitement and joy. God was moving, and the church was being the body of Christ. You can imagine the hope that filled me, and how it grew as I saw the plans for the first addition begin to come together. The vision was seared into my thoughts, and my heart. I could not wait to see what would happen next. However, it was not long before I found out I was about to be assigned to a new church. I couldn’t understand why God gave me such a clear vision, only to remove me from it.

I began to think God gave me the vision so that I would pray for it to come to pass, which I continued to do. I wondered if it might be preparation for something else God wanted me to do, but it seemed so specific. After a few years, I started to believe that the vision was for someone else and, while I continued to pray, I felt like I lost something. From time to time, my wife would say, ” Maybe, one day, you will go back and finish it.” I loved the sentiment, but it simply wasn’t possible… until it was. After 22 years of waiting in prayer, I was offered the opportunity to return. Many pieces of that vision are already in place, but the passion God gave me decades ago is once again burning brightly in my heart. God’s appointed time arrived.

The Lord told Habakkuk to keep the vision large, and to wait for it. The vision came with an appointed time, and God’s visions do not lie. God’s timing is not ours, and when God is ready, the vision will surely come. It may seem as if the fulfillment of the vision is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. What feels like a delay, is actually preparation, but it is easy to give up in the season of preparation. We can lose hope and faith that God will fulfill it.

A good friend frequently reminds me that all of the times “suddenly” appears in Scripture, it usually occurs after a long season of waiting and prayer. What appears sudden is actually the result of preparation for God’s perfect timing. The waiting is not easy, but God is faithful.

The Lord’s word came to pass for Habakkuk, and it is coming to pass for me. God’s Word for you will come to pass as well. It may not come in the time, or in the way, you expect, but God did not forget you, or the vision. Don’t lose heart, and don’t give up. Wait for it. It is not over until God says so, and remember, all of the promises of God are, “Yes, and Amen.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)

So, if you are holding onto a vision from God, but seeing no results, keep the vision large so you can see it, and remember, “If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.”

The post Wait for It appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

Identifying the sources of negative spiritual gravity in our lives is the first step to breaking free. When we see what is holding us back, those things begin to lose some power in the light of that exposure, but knowing gravity exists will not give us the power to overcome its pull. We need to take active steps to move upward. Here are five steps that can build the momentum we need.

Dream God-Sized Dreams

Do you remember your imagination? You probably used it a lot when you were younger, but in the course of maturity, we become more conservative in our vision and we constrain our dreams. God dreams big dreams, and you are created in God’s image. You were made to pursue grand visions, not to settle for what is common, or easy. The first step toward breaking free from the sources of negative spiritual gravity is to give our imaginations permission to dream big again.

What would you do if you had nothing holding you back? What captivates your heart? What is burning within you, crying to be free? These are the questions to ask, and ponder. Take the shackles off of your dreams, and embrace the Biblical promise that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Remember, we have a God who can do, “exceedingly, abundantly beyond all we can ask or imagine through his power that is at work within you.” (Ephesians 3:20)

Take Hold of the Vision

Dreams remain dreams until we embrace them, then they become a vision. Keep dreaming, but as you begin to resonate with your dreams, let them become visions that draw you forward. To use the rocket illustration of the past two days, launches do not happen by accident, nor are they just to see the rocket go up. There is a clear vision of the rocket’s purpose, direction, and destination. Dreams must be distilled into a vision. Even if all of the details are not clear, the next step is to own the vision that is growing within you. Once you take hold of it, the clarity will begin to come, and you will be on your way. God reminded the prophet Habakkuk, “The vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3)

Fill Your Tank with Faith

You cannot create energy without fuel, and that fuel is faith. Breaking free will involve building our faith, and increasing the capacity for faith in our lives. Start with what you have. If your faith is low, then use what you have to accomplish small victories. A series of small steps accomplishes the same thing as a giant leap, and with each step completed, your faith will grow.

It is also important to feed on inspiration. Read Scripture, pray, and spend time in fellowship with others who dream God-sized dreams. Read books by people with vision and faith. Savor the stories of faith-filled people, both past and present. It is very easy to find stories of defeat and discouragement. Make the effort to fill yourself with things that strengthen your faith and deepen your dreams.

As hard as it is to hear, it may be necessary to remove yourself from voices that speak negativity and defeat. It is very hard to build faith when others are holding you back. I am not suggesting our relationships with people are merely expendable, but embracing the dream God plants in your life may require limiting the impact some people have on your life and energy. Instead, surround yourself with people who will share their faith and help you fill your tank.

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

Breaking free from what holds us back involves playing one of the greatest, and most significant, games of follow the leader. Just as driving requires keeping our eyes on where we want to go, so moving forward into our destiny demands that we keep our eyes on the One who is leading us into it.

You might remember the story of the Apostle Peter. He was in a boat with the other disciples when they saw a figure walking on the waves. At first they are afraid, but then they realize that it is Jesus. Peter calls out to Jesus with a burst of faith and says, “Tell me to come out to you.” Jesus makes that invitation and Peter responds. Eyes on Jesus he begins to walk upon the same waves, out to where Jesus is. Somewhere along the way, he moves his attention from the One who called him to the waves surrounding him. With that simple shift of his gaze, he begins to sink into the water, causing Jesus to come to his rescue.

When our eyes are on Jesus, we can do amazing things. When we look away, we begin to sink. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Don’t Look Back

Jesus said, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) Again, this is not a condemnation, merely a statement of fact. If we keep longingly looking back toward what held us captive, our fitness level is not ready for the demands of the race before us. Imagine an Olympic runner trying to win a race while looking back at the starting line. It simply doesn’t work. While God was surely with us in that place in the past, God is with us now calling us into our future. Remembering where we came from and what we did is fine, but our gaze must remain forward to run a fit race.

With these steps in mind we can trust Jesus to lead the way and the Holy Spirit to empower us to achieve the destiny God is calling us to embrace. I would love to say it is easy, but that is simply not true. Great things require great effort, and our calling is a great calling. However, if we remain faithful and disciplined; if we will persevere with passion, we will break free from the strongholds holding us back and soar into our future with Christ.

We will wrap up this theme looking at the wonder and beauty that is found soaring with Christ. Until then, let the Spirit build your faith, and keep your eyes on Jesus.

The post 5 Steps for Breaking Free (Gravity Pt. 3) appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

Busyness is not a sign of success, effectiveness, or importance, yet many live their lives as if it is. Busyness is a sign that our schedules are too full, and we are missing the opportunity to be fully present in the moment, focused on our true priorities. Of course, there are times, maybe even seasons, where circumstances require us to live with heavy agendas, but this is not meant to be a way of life. Even Jesus, a man with a tremendous mission, made time to be alone; to step away from the activity of ministry to be renewed.

When I first entered the process toward ministry, my uncle (who is also a pastor) gave me a profound piece of advice, “Remember, the pastor who is always available, usually isn’t any good when he or she is available.” I remind myself of this often, as many around me judge down time as a sign of ineffectiveness. I’ve seen it in meetings of clergy and lay people, whose calendars are filled with appointments. They pass the same judgement on themselves as they do others, believing that more items in their agenda, and on their “to do” lists, is a sign that they are doing more effective work for God. This approach often leads to little time to soak in the word, enjoy God’s presence, and listen to the voice of the Lord.

I remember being confronted by a person who had something they believed I should add to my schedule. The church I was serving at the time required a lot from me in the mornings, and the evenings were often filled with meetings and classes. This left a little time in the afternoon to get away with my wife, enjoy the company of friends, and spend some quiet time with God. When it became clear that I was not going to add this request to my agenda, her reply was, “Well, if you have time for coffee in the afternoon, you have time to do this for me.”

I could have chosen to allow this to offend me, but actually, it made me sad. Sure, there was little respect shown for the commitments I already had, but her comment represented the way she lived her life. It was no wonder she was stressed, and no wonder many of us are for the same reason.

We can talk about going deeper in our walk with God, pressing into our relationship with Jesus, and soaking in the scripture, but if we do not slow down and make time in our schedules, we will only give lip service to these ideals. Being good stewards of our lives and of our faith development requires us to be attentive to how we allocate our time. Time spent with God is an investment in all that we do in Jesus’ name, and it comes with great reward.

Here is where it can get a little sticky. There are things we need to do, and there are demands on our schedule we should attend to, but drawing the line between those activities and the countless nonessential requests can be difficult. Our view of ourselves, our desire to be needed and respected, and our fear of judgement can keep us from making healthy decisions about our time.

Not long ago, I was sharing with a colleague my struggle with what people expected from me. Between ministry and family, I was finding little time for nourishing my spirit and developing my creativity. Many of the things I wanted to do were being put off, or lost all together. His response was exactly what I needed to hear, “Who sets your schedule?”

We all like to claim the people in our lives are responsible for our busyness, but the truth is, the choice is ours to make. While there may be consequences from not taking on a task or appointment, the decision to include them in our agenda is ours to make. I needed that reminder. Maybe, you do too.

Developing our spiritual life requires an investment of time. If it is a priority, we will make time for the things that will grow our faith and relationship with God. In my own life, there are times when I will cancel my time with God to attend to other matters. I console myself with the knowledge that God understands, but if the appointment was with my Bishop, my Superintendent, or numerous other people, I would never cancel the appointment for those reasons. It is a difficult truth to accept, but I find it too easy to ignore what is most important.

This is why I need to be reminded of how Jesus ordered his life. One specific story always stands out for me. Jesus is on retreat with his disciples when someone finds him to tell him his beloved friend Lazarus is extremely ill. Jesus’ response to this news is to remain on retreat for two more days! When he finally arrives, Martha is quick to remind him that he arrived too late. If only he came sooner, Lazarus would be alive. Of course, the story concludes with Jesus raising him from the dead, but the message of his actions is clear, it was more important to stay apart with God, than to rush back, in spite of the expectations and opinions of others.

Experiencing a deep life of faith will require sacrifices. It will mean that we must prioritize our lives, and live out of those priorities. We will need to slow down and make room for God to have our attention for more than a few moments, or while we are rushing on to our next appointment. These decisions will not be easy, or popular, but they will be right, and as is often the case, the best results will come from doing the hard thing.

The post Slow Down appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

Does anything say new beginnings better than a birth? Even our cultural celebration of New Year’s Eve and Day represents the New Year in the form of a baby taking over for the aging Father Time. I, for one, am profoundly struck by the celebration of beginnings right in the middle of the Christmas season. It there is a new beginning worth celebrating, it has to be the one that took place in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago.

The prophet Isaiah declared God’s intention to do something fresh, to initiate a new beginning, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19) Certainly that vision finds its high point with the Christ Child in the manger, but it also reveals something of the heart and plan of God in our lives. God did an amazing new thing when Jesus entered the world, and he continues to do amazing, new things as Jesus enters us in our world.

God has a plan for us, and a plan for the world. It is a good plan, and those who embrace it find life. Remember the words from Jeremiah, “ ^‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11) God’s plan for us is to see us embrace the future and hope that is destined for us, and live the lives we were made to live.

The beauty of God’s promise is that it is not reserved for a single day, but is truth for every day. Many people will make New Year’s resolutions today. Most will not follow through on them. There will be plans and visions claimed, but the twists and turns of life will distract, and is some cases destroy, those plans. Yet, God’s plan stands forever. God is not surprised by life, he is the Author of it. Heaven does not shake in fear of events or obstacles. The Lord of heaven and earth is more than able to make his will reality. God’s promise remains secure. This is a wonderful truth! There is nothing wrong with making plans and resolutions, but the greatest beginning is found in Jesus.

A good friend challenged her Facebook friends to remember that greater than New Year’s resolutions is the call to respond to the new life in Christ every day. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Every day is a new beginning with God. Every moment is pregnant with opportunity to embrace God’s vision for our lives and for the world. What God began in Bethlehem, is continuing today. Jesus is God with us, and, “of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.” (Isaiah 9:7)

Happy New Year! I pray we make amazing plans and resolutions. I also pray that every day we embrace the promise and vision of God, to be members of God’s great family, and a part of God’s great plan for the world. Today is a day of new beginnings!

The post New Beginnings appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

Whenever I think I have a sense of the vast, universal message of Christmas, I become aware of how much more there is to explore and understand. On the surface, it seems like such a straightforward story, and to some degree it is. Yet, the more we ponder God’s great act in Jesus Christ, and the longer we consider the all of the surrounding story of this holy birth, the more of God’s love we discover, and the greater revelation of God in Jesus we uncover.

Pondering is a good thing. In fact, one of my favorite quotes of the Christmas story comes in Luke’s narration of Jesus birth. After Mary receives a visit from an angel telling her she will give birth to the Messiah, after a dramatic confirmation by Elizabeth and another from Joseph, and after a long trek to Bethlehem which includes the testimony of some shepherds who declare angels have confirmed them message again, Luke says, “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) Mary knew there was much, much more to consider than she understood at first glance.

Throughout history, this single verse from Luke was a favorite for those within the monastic traditions. It remains a special reflection to this day, because it echoes the heartbeat of those who would think deeply, and pray into, the profound things of God. So much of what there is to learn along our spiritual journey cannot be captured quickly. We need time to savor the details and mine the hidden treasures that lie well beneath the surface.

I am not suggesting that the revelation from God is not clear, nor should we be looking for strange, mystical interpretations of God’s word, but we should not settle for a quick reading that only skims the surface, when the word itself is inviting us into a deeper conversation. When Jesus was about to leave his disciples, he told them that the Holy Spirit was coming and that he would remind them of all Jesus said to them and teach them everything. That message is equally for us today. When we ponder, we are making room in our thoughts for the Holy Spirit to reveal what God is teaching us in that moment.

Like Mary, being good stewards of the word of God, the revelation of God, and our experience, involves pondering. It is active reflecting, which is the very definition of Christian meditation. Unlike other forms of meditation that seek to empty the mind, Christian meditation seeks to fill and the mind and spirit with the mind of Christ and the Holy Spirit. It actively considers things seeking God’s perspective and insight, while trusting in the Spirit to reveal God’s word to us. Our insights should always be consistent with Scripture, but we should remember that, when we think we understand, we should understand there is more to be understood.

As we continue on our Christmas journey, instead of wishing the season was over, maybe we should be thankful for the time to reflect on the deeper things God would say to us this year as we, like Mary, treasure all these things and ponder them in our hearts.

The post Pondering appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

“My child, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways” – Psalm 23:26

It is hard to give your heart to someone you rarely spend time with. Not only is it difficult to a relationship without the investment, but all of the other distractions will seem so much more attractive. It takes time to share your heart, but time is a precious, often scarce, commodity.

Intimacy with God is important, for from that intimacy flows our spiritual authority. The more we come to know the heart of God, the more we can act in union with God’s justice, grace, and compassion. We become better representatives of the kingdom as we become better friends with God.

Since this relationship is so significant, making time to grow, and remain strong, in it should be a priority. Form many, it is, but making time is the challenge. We live over-committed lives that squeeze out our available time and energy. So, when someone says, “You need to make God  a priority in your life,” we think, “I know, but I don’t know how.” Too often, this is where the guilt begins and we feel like we are failing the Christian life.

I know this struggle all too well. I am sure it would seem to many that making time for God  should be easy for a pastor, but like everyone else, my life is full of time-consuming responsibilities and energy-draining commitments. Without some very intentional actions, my time with God can get diminished or lost.

So, here are some things that help me make quality time for God:

1.  Choose a Time That Works for Your Personality – We are often told that our time with God should be the first thing we do each day. While it may be a good idea to have a centering time before you begin the day’s activities, it is more important that our quality time with God come when we are alert and can be the most attentive. I find that mornings are difficult for me, so I typically take some time for prayer and a short Scripture reading to focus my day on God, then later in the evening, when I am more awake, I set aside a larger block of time to be with God. Choose what will be the most effective.
2. Choose a Time You Will Keep – It is most helpful to select a time when we can make a regular commitment. If you are rushing to get somewhere or finish quickly, the deeper value of the time could be lost. It is important to choose a time that will allow you to return every day, without being lost to interruptions, and that is least likely to feel like a duty.
3. Show Up – This my seem obvious, but it is not. We are too easily led by our feelings, which quickly leads to thoughts of, “I don’t feel like making the time today,” and, “I’m not getting anything out of this right now. I think I will go do something else.” We need to overcome those thoughts a be present. Nothing may happen in our time with God on a particular day, even for a season. We want to be present, however, when it does. Treat your time with God like any other significant appointment in your schedule.
4. Make Use of Your Daily Schedule – If you cannot make your appointment with God, make the effort to make time in other parts of the day. You can reschedule your appointment for a different time, You can exchange your typical time for a series of smaller meetings throughout the day. There are numerous options, but be cautious about neglecting the appointment all together. Your habit of making time for God can slip away quickly.
5. Be Intentional and Avoid Guilt – Important things rarely happen by accident. If we wait to give God our time when we have it, we will probably never make the time. On the other hand, be cautious not to become legalistic about your commitment. This can lead to feelings of guilt which will undermine the time you have and make you feel like giving up along the way. God loves you, and looks forward to spending time with you. Making time for God is about planing quality time with someone we love, not fulfilling an obligation.

I pray these suggestions help you along your journey. I would love to hear the things that help you make time for God. Please share them in the comments so we all can learn together.

The post Making Time (Part 1) – Making Time for God appeared first on Thinking Faith Cafe.

When we rush into doing things, we get things out of order, and we can miss what really matters.

I remember a test one of my high school teachers gave to our class. It was a page full of instructions that we were asked to complete as quickly as possible. The list began by asking us to read all of the instructions, then went on to give us assignments such as solving math problems, obtaining the signature of another student, repeating a phrase three times, and more similar items. Assignment number 25 read, “If you have read all of the instructions, ignore everything else, sign this paper at the bottom, and return it to your teacher.” Only three people passed that test. I was not one of them.

The teacher explained that his goal was to show us the importance of reading all of the instructions, but looking back, I think it taught something else, something much more significant. When we rush into fulfilling tasks, we lose the objectivity we need to evaluate what we should do. Our priorities can become misguided all too quickly and we waste time, energy, and life pursuing the wrong things.

Jesus appointed twelve followers to the position of apostle, and many of us are aware of the great works those apostles did in their ministries. We even have an entire book of the Bible detailing the Acts of the Apostles, but did you hear what the Gospel writer, Mark, said in the Scripture quote above? Jesus appointed the twelve, “so that they might be with him.” The first priority was relationship. The text does go on to say that he gave them a mission and the authority to complete it, both of which are important, but before the assignment was the relationship.

The foundation of life and ministry is relationship. Done correctly, there can be no skipping steps. How many times have we (have I) jumped into doing things to serve God and the world, without taking the time to truly be in relationship with either God or the world? The results-oriented definitions of success we internalize encourage us to get things done quickly and efficiently, so we can get on to the next task. When we embrace this model, however, we frequently end up where I, and my high school class did; busy doing the wrong, or unnecessary, things.

From our relationship with Jesus, comes our mission and authority. From our relationship with the world comes our context and integrity. Without these key components, we can create the illusion of effectiveness and success, but we are only juggling a list of activities that are destined to fall to the ground. When we are plugged into the source of life, however, we become conduits of divine authority and power to transform lives, communities, and the world.

My denomination has a mission statement that says we, “make disciples for the transformation of the world.” That is an awesome, engaging mission. Nowhere, do we claim a mission to have full calendars, busy schedules, and too many activities. Often, however, that is what we do, and maybe you can relate to the temptation to replace a great mission with a flurry of activity because it seems so natural.

We are made to accomplish great things. All of us have God-given destiny, and it is bigger than being busy. When we embrace the significance of living in the right order, placing our relationship with God ahead of the work that we do, not only will we make a greater impact, we will also find the source of life that makes all things beautiful. As you make your plans for this weekend, for the coming week, and for your future, is it time to ask yourself, “am I skipping important steps in my drive to be productive?” Maybe, like me, you need to celebrate that your first calling is, like the apostles, to be with Jesus.

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