A Simple Trick To Make Time For What Matters Most

This post is by René Bancroft.

"I just don't have the time."

It is an all too common sentence in our daily life that brings about temporary relief when we haven't done something we want to do or that we need to do.

I was recently chatting on facetime with my middle daughter, and she shared something quite impactful with me from a course about creating intentional habits. One of the things her instructor said was this, "Replace the phrase I don't have the time. with It doesn't matter to me." 

Whoa!!

Anybody else get the shivers down their spine? There are plenty of activities that occur during our day, and we have to prioritize them. Some are clearly more fun than others, but that doesn't mean those tasks are optional.

Here, try a few out with me:

"I need to do the laundry for my family, but it doesn't matter to me."

"I was supposed to visit my grandmother, but it doesn't matter to me."

"I'm supposed to meet my husband for dinner, but it doesn't matter to me."

"My workout starts at 6:30 am, but that's so early; it doesn't matter to me."

"I realize Bible study is important for my relationship to grow with the Father, but it doesn't matter to me."

Oh, ouch! Right between the eyes on that last one. 

We would never say any of those things out loud because, of course, we love our kids, our husband, our family members. Okay, maybe the laundry part ~ you can always stop at Target to pick up a pack of underwear for tomorrow, right? But at some point, the laundry has to be done.

So, why is it when it comes to spending time with Jesus, we end up making excuses for not having enough time. We care about Jesus; we value our relationship with the Father, we want to honor His Word as we learn more about Him, so why do we put it off? Is it because we know He's always going to be there for us? Is it because we are in a season of doubt that God actually hears us? Or maybe we don't want to be confronted by the Holy Spirit's conviction. 

 James 2:18-20 tells us, "But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?" (ESV)

Satan is the one who distracts us, ever so subtly, and convinces us we don't need to spend time with Jesus every day. The Bible is crystal clear that Satan knows precisely who Jesus is, and he knows what the Bible says (John 10:9-11). 

God's Word abundantly glorifies HIS story, and we have the unique privilege to read the accounts of how He changed the lives of those who love Him. Our hearts are changed and softened as we settle into the beauty of Scripture. Our minds are made clear as we read His precepts and plans for our life. 

In this age of technology, we have every opportunity to have God's Word with us all the time. You can download various Bible apps on your phone or tablet or get daily email devotions from your favorite author. And, the old fashioned way, you can pick up one of the Bibles you have in your home, open it up, hold it in your hands, and let the Scriptures pour over your heart, mind, and soul like a refreshing waterfall of truth.

Before the busyness of life rushes in, take those few moments before your feet hit the floor and read (at least) a verse-for-the-day and pray to the Lord that you will be aware of how He wants to use you for His Kingdom that day. Give your day to the Lord and remind Satan that you belong to the King of Kings!

Spending time with the Lord each day is precisely what we need when we think we don't have the time for 'one more thing.' When we enter into a space of worship through reading Scripture or with singing, we are met with the sweet revelations from the Creator of the Universe about who He is. And He wants to spend time with us! He really does. 

About today's guest writer:

René Bancroft is a Southern California native, married to Tony since July 1990. Together they have three daughters and one son-in-law. With their youngest daughter in college, they are enjoying the new adventures of being empty-nesters. René has been blogging since 2015 and is currently published in both online and hard copy magazines with various Christian publications. She also loves to speak at Women's Retreats and to women's bible study groups at churches in Southern California. René has served as a mentor at Azusa Pacific University since 2018 and with several other local ministries. Her heart is to see women embrace who God created them to be. René loves to spend time with her family, reading, and the occasional outing for Afternoon Tea with her daughters. You can find René at https://www.renebancroft.com, or follow her on Instagram @renebancroft.

Photo by Lucian Alexe on Unsplash