One great problem I think we face, especially here in Singapore, is that we are too busy. We are always rushing about doing things. School, work, friends, fun, etc. From morning till night most of our days are filled with activity, leaving us not only short of time, but also really tired at the end of the day. Many people say that they do not do their quiet time because they are too busy, or because they are simply too tired at night. We do live very hectic lives.
And while being busy is not wrong, because after all we have been sent out into the world to do God's will, it becomes a great problem when we are too busy for God. Anything that takes our time takes time that can potentially be spent with God, and if we find that at the end of the day we have no time or energy left for Him, then there is a problem. Also, being busy inevitably leads to our minds being cluttered with many things, and this means that our minds end up not being focused on Him. We also start worrying more and being stressed, and this means that our hearts end up not having peace and struggling to trust in Him.
This does not just pertain to "secular" activities like work or fun (I believe that no part of our life is secular because our entire lives are lived for Him); even for those actively involved in Christian service, or in full-time work, when work becomes so busy that we do not have time for our relationship with God, then that is a problem. This is so important because everything we do stems from our relationship with Him; if we do not have that, we have nothing.
As I look back on my months in the army, even though it was tough, I give thanks for one thing- that I had so much time to spend with the Lord. Army life, with all its difficulties, is in a way very simple as well- it's just you, your buddies, and God, nothing else. I spent a lot of time and energy on Him, and I experienced God really strongly during those few months. I did my quiet time every night, prayed before I slept, and always felt really refreshed.
I thank God for putting me in medical school, and for the many opportunities there are to serve Him. But I also realise that things are getting really busy, there are many things on my mind, and I unknowingly am beginning to spend less time and energy Him. Also I am beginning to worry much more about other things, and trusting less in the strength of God. I know my mind has drifted away from Him, and I have been trying to do things on my own, and to go my own way. And I realise, it has taken its toll. It leads to tiredness, frustration, confusion, and a sense of being lost. Of being whirled around from situation to situation, day to day, instead of being able to lean about the solid Rock. I thank God that He has never lost patience with me and has been gently nudging me back to Him.
This was the command that God gave to the Israelites, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." Deut. 6:5-7 God was calling the Israelites to spend great amounts of time on Him and with Him, and for a good reason! They were God's chosen people, and I believe so are we. And I believe that they too would have had many things to attend to in their life like us, basic needs and so on. Bear in mind that they did not have all the material comforts and conveneniences that we have today. And yet God still commanded that more important than all that was the time spent with Him.
The more time we spend with Him, the more our hearts and minds are focused on Him instead of on other things, the more guidance, strength and refreshing we can receive, and the easier it is to keep our focus on Him. Many of the things that take our time are actually self-inflicted. Even if there was nothing much to do, many of us would try to find things to do and make ourselves busy, to make ourselves feel like we are doing something important, going somewhere. But true strength and true guidance comes from the Lord. The tendency to worry and be stressed is always there, but we must believe, as is said in His Word, that knowing Him and serving Him is far more important than all of these. That the Lord is the Lord of our lives, and we must allow Him to take first place, and decide how the rest of our life is going to go. Not to take care of everything else, and then find ways to squeeze Him in somewhere and somehow. He must be first on our minds, first on our hearts, and first on our schedules too.
And actually, why do we need to be so busy, if our God is our Provider and will take care of everything in our lives?
And while being busy is not wrong, because after all we have been sent out into the world to do God's will, it becomes a great problem when we are too busy for God. Anything that takes our time takes time that can potentially be spent with God, and if we find that at the end of the day we have no time or energy left for Him, then there is a problem. Also, being busy inevitably leads to our minds being cluttered with many things, and this means that our minds end up not being focused on Him. We also start worrying more and being stressed, and this means that our hearts end up not having peace and struggling to trust in Him.
This does not just pertain to "secular" activities like work or fun (I believe that no part of our life is secular because our entire lives are lived for Him); even for those actively involved in Christian service, or in full-time work, when work becomes so busy that we do not have time for our relationship with God, then that is a problem. This is so important because everything we do stems from our relationship with Him; if we do not have that, we have nothing.
As I look back on my months in the army, even though it was tough, I give thanks for one thing- that I had so much time to spend with the Lord. Army life, with all its difficulties, is in a way very simple as well- it's just you, your buddies, and God, nothing else. I spent a lot of time and energy on Him, and I experienced God really strongly during those few months. I did my quiet time every night, prayed before I slept, and always felt really refreshed.
I thank God for putting me in medical school, and for the many opportunities there are to serve Him. But I also realise that things are getting really busy, there are many things on my mind, and I unknowingly am beginning to spend less time and energy Him. Also I am beginning to worry much more about other things, and trusting less in the strength of God. I know my mind has drifted away from Him, and I have been trying to do things on my own, and to go my own way. And I realise, it has taken its toll. It leads to tiredness, frustration, confusion, and a sense of being lost. Of being whirled around from situation to situation, day to day, instead of being able to lean about the solid Rock. I thank God that He has never lost patience with me and has been gently nudging me back to Him.
This was the command that God gave to the Israelites, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." Deut. 6:5-7 God was calling the Israelites to spend great amounts of time on Him and with Him, and for a good reason! They were God's chosen people, and I believe so are we. And I believe that they too would have had many things to attend to in their life like us, basic needs and so on. Bear in mind that they did not have all the material comforts and conveneniences that we have today. And yet God still commanded that more important than all that was the time spent with Him.
The more time we spend with Him, the more our hearts and minds are focused on Him instead of on other things, the more guidance, strength and refreshing we can receive, and the easier it is to keep our focus on Him. Many of the things that take our time are actually self-inflicted. Even if there was nothing much to do, many of us would try to find things to do and make ourselves busy, to make ourselves feel like we are doing something important, going somewhere. But true strength and true guidance comes from the Lord. The tendency to worry and be stressed is always there, but we must believe, as is said in His Word, that knowing Him and serving Him is far more important than all of these. That the Lord is the Lord of our lives, and we must allow Him to take first place, and decide how the rest of our life is going to go. Not to take care of everything else, and then find ways to squeeze Him in somewhere and somehow. He must be first on our minds, first on our hearts, and first on our schedules too.
And actually, why do we need to be so busy, if our God is our Provider and will take care of everything in our lives?
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