Good Morning Lord

Good morning, Lord. I’m here. I’m following all the instructions. See? I’ve got my coffee, and my Bible and notebook, and that devotional book everyone at church is talking about. Speak Lord. Your servant is listening. That’s in the Bible, right?

Here’s the thing, Lord. We need to get moving on this. I haven’t got all day. I have an exercise class in a few minutes. There’s Bible study tonight and I’m not ready.  I haven’t looked through the agenda for that board meeting tomorrow.  And I have that paperwork I need to go through. There’s a big pile of mail that I haven’t even opened. And there’s laundry and dishes and all the stuff.

Oh, and I have to take the dog to his training class tomorrow night. Can’t forget about that.

So, you can see I don’t have a lot of time. But I want to hear from You.

Good morning Lord. I think. 

Does your quiet time ever sound like that? Mine does. I hate to admit it, but sometimes I treat God as if He’s just another appointment in my busy day. I cringe to think of the times I have told God, or at least implied, that I had 10 minutes. Take it or leave it. Oh, and I need some wisdom on a huge decision. And I need it now.

By the way, I’m single. And retired. I’m finally at that point in my life that we all dream of. I can go to bed when I want. Get up when I want. Eat what I want. Only it’s never quite that simple. Someone or something always has a demand on my time.

For those with jobs, kids, and meals to plan, it gets even more complicated. There never seems to be enough time to go around.

Time management? 

We read books on time management as if there’s some magical formula to eek another 20 minutes out of our days. We buy calendars and planners and journals hoping to manage our time better. Even the journals become a competition. If you’re ever on Pinterest, search “bullet journals” and you’ll find page after page of elaborate “spreads” you can create to keep track of what you need to keep track of. I’m not sure what washi tape is, but it’s an essential supply for quality bullet journals. I suppose some of these creators and “influencers” block off time to create aesthetic visuals of how they spend their time.

Not so different, are we?

But what does this all mean for us who claim to be followers of Christ? I don’t think our lives look different from those around us. Christians are just as stressed, just as time challenged as anyone else. I dare say we can be more time challenged.

Sundays are sometimes the most hectic day of my week. I coordinate volunteers for a ministry, so I  scramble to fill open slots at the last minute. That can distract me from what’s important.

What’s the answer to all this? There is no magic bullet. I don’t have a 3D printer that can churn out blocks of time. We each have the same 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week. What can I change so that I’m not making God an afterthought?

Priorities and afterthoughts

It all comes down to priorities and choices, doesn’t it? I can choose how to spend my time, but when it’s gone, it’s gone. It won’t ever be replaced.  

I know a lot of people who are into decluttering. I try to declutter. But I usually just end up moving stuff from one place to another. The same can happen when we try to declutter our lives. We can end up with the same piles, just arranged in a different order.

How can I focus my time with God so that I’m really saying, “Good Morning, Lord” instead of declaring “This is what I want from You today Lord, I hope you’re on board.”

Where’s your center?

God told the children of Israel as they prepared to enter the promised land that He was to be at the center of their lives.

“Hear Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one! And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be upon your heart, And you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. You shall tie them as a sign to your hand, and they shall be as frontlets on your forehead. You shall also write them on the doorposts of your house and your gates.” Deuteronomy 4:6-9 NASB 2020

When I read these words, I’m a bit shaken, to be honest. This is intense. This is a different lifestyle. But it can change my center.

I think that the crux of what He is saying here is “I can be trusted with everything. I want to be included in all that you do.”

God admonishes us to think of Him when we get up. When we go to bed. When we are walking and working.

Instead of bringing my schedule to God and asking Him to bless what I’ve already planned, what if I bring Him the empty planner and ask Him to fill it? I know that we have work and school and chores. Those things can’t be ignored. But my attitude toward them can change.

Good Morning Lord. You first. 

Good morning, Lord. I’m here. I don’t have a lot of extra time today. But I want to start it with You. I have my Bible, my journal, all the stuff. But first, I want to enjoy being with you. And I want to know what Your priority is. Are there things that I have planned that are consuming your precious gift of time in a way that doesn’t please you? Who do You want me to connect with to share Your love?

This prayer is different than the first one. The circumstances haven’t changed. But my focus has shifted. I’m looking at God, not all that I have to do. 

Exactly what are we studying? 

Bob Goff says this about Bible Study. “It’s important to know what Jesus had to say if we’re going to live like Him. But if we’re buried under piles of commentaries, we’ll miss out on the opportunities to live Jesus’ message.”

Jesus had 3 years for His ministry. In that time, He had to build his brand (using modern verbiage,) train His team, and not get out of sync with the Father. And He had to do all this with the constant backdrop of religious opposition, doubt, and the uncomfortable knowledge that one of his own buddies would sell Him out when the time came.

Mark’s gospel is short and direct. And we see the intensity of Jesus when we read it. What we don’t see is a stressed Savior wondering how he’s going to find time to fit in one more miracle or feed one more multitude. Jesus never forgot His mission. He never forgot to love.

Bob Goff reminds us, “When we add too much to life, we miss out on the most essential ingredient: the people.” Sometimes we check all the boxes and do all the things and never see the reason. But if Jesus is the center of all that we do, it’s not about checking boxes anymore.

Good morning, Lord. Who am I supposed to love for You today?

It all comes down to relationships. My first relationship needs to be with God. If I get that right, the other pieces will fall in place.

Good morning Lord!