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.

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As laughable as it was, it is also quite the reality for just about everyone I know. It seems many people around us are convinced that they know what we should do, how we should feel, and what our priorities should be. Unfortunately, these people rarely agree, making their combined list of expectations even greater. They also rarely spend time listening to our situation and our heart, choosing instead to impose their own thoughts and feelings on us.

What is most unfortunate is that their comments are not rooted in revelation from God. Instead of prayerfully considering what God might be asking of us, they bypass that reflective process to speak out of their own agendas and desires, certain that they know what is best for us. The question for us is, “how are we going to respond?”

In our modern day of politically correct, sensitive responses, many of us feel the need to fit in to the expectations of those around us. We don’t want to respond to these inappropriate intrusions in a way that seems mean, so we often allow guilt to pile up as we add more things to our “To do” list. As kind and loving as that response may seem, it is actually a form of codependency that encourages unhealthy behavior. It may be that our best response is a different response.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Now does that sound as if I were trying to win human approval? No! I want God’s approval! Or that I’m trying to cater to people? If I were still doing that, I would not be a servant of the Messiah.” (Galatians 1:10) He could not be clearer. His goal is not human approval, but God’s approval. He addresses those who would seek to direct his life without prayerful reflection and guidance by saying, “So what? Think what you like. Say what you like. I am seeking God’s approval.”

You and I must seek God with the questions, “Did I do what you wanted? Am I doing the right thing? Are you pleased with me and my direction?” We can allow the comments of others to lead us to seek God’s opinion, and we can maintain a teachable spirit, but our goal is not to please people, but God.

This is significant as we embrace God’s vision for our life. God may ask things of us that are not what others want us to do, and we will undoubtedly need to say, “No,” to many things people ask of us. This is not because we are mean, but because we are wise. What value is there is trying to live up to the expectations of people who will never be satisfied, especially when that means we might neglect the greater things God is asking us to do. Certainly, chasing down what it takes to please the people around us will drain our energy for the things we should be doing, and may cause us to lose focus on our calling.

Saturday night, as I watched my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers lose a playoff game to our rivals, I had a lot so say as an armchair quarterback and coach. Comfortably sitting on my sofa, I was certain I knew what needed to be done to win the game. The truth is, I was not there. I did not have all the information the coaches had. I am not trained to coach a professional sports team, and it is not my job. All of this is exactly why there is not a single player on the team that is remotely concerned about my assessment of their game plan or performance. I can have an opinion, but the reality is, my opinion does not matter.

The greatest goal of our lives is not the approval of others, it is the approval of God. When our lives on earth are complete and we stand before our God, whose eyes blaze like fire, we want to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” This will be the affirmation from the One who truly matters, not from the onlookers who had opinions.

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“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.