Sister, believe us. We get it. You want to be in God’s Word, but sometimes life just makes it hard.
We see you.
You’re the warrior opening your Bible app while waiting in line at the grocery store, the go‑getter nodding off on Habakuk trying to spend time with the Lord before bed, and the weary momma with no spare moments for quiet time when your two-year-old simply will. not. nap.
We hear you.
We’re in this with you.
And we’re here for you.
This is our little corner of the Internet, and we want to use it extend the grace of Christ to you, even when you won’t extend it to yourself. Especially when you won’t extend it to yourself.
But we also want to encourage you to keep going. Keep up the hard work of following after Jesus, even in busy seasons.
But how? Here are 5 easy steps to stay in God’s Word, even when life is crazy busy.
- Say no so you can say yes. Our calendars so quickly, and even if its filled to the brim with good things, over-commitment can take away from what we need to prioritize. When opportunities come your way, remember that saying yes isn’t always the best answer.
- Ask a friend. You’re more likely to take something away from your time with the Lord if you know you’re going to tell somebody about it later. Ask one of your friends what the Lord is doing in her life, and then be honest when your turn comes. This is a great way to slow down and see His hand at work in your life, even amidst busyness.
- Try something new. Even your favorite meal starts to lose its appeal if you eat it too often. Feeling like you’re in a rut with your Bible study routine doesn’t mean the Word has lost its relevance in your life, it just means you need a new way to approach it. Try a new devotional, a book of the Bible you’ve never read before, or even a different setting or time of day. Simple changes in your routine can breathe new life into your quiet time.
- Set realistic goals for your quiet time, even if that means not having goals for your quiet time. I’m achievement oriented, goal driven, and a biiiiiiig list checker. And it’s really easy for that to spill over into my relationship with God. If we treat our quiet time as checking off an item on our “good things to do” list, we completely miss the point. But sometimes you need to set a goal to make sure you do spend time with the Lord. If this is you, remember to be realistic in your goal setting. Just like the girl who sits on the couch eating Pringles when she’s unable to run a marathon her second day out for a jog, you’ll easily grow discouraged if you miss the mark on a goal that was too lofty to begin with.
- Try Foundations: A 260 Day Bible Reading Plan for Busy Believers. We love this new devotional because it’s an easy, realistic way to achieve a big goal. You can read through the entire Bible in one year, but with only committing to 5 days of reading per week. No more doubling up on reading if you miss a day. In fact, you can miss 105 days and still read 100% of the Bible over the course of the year. There’s also devotional content each day, which makes it super easy to apply every inch of God’s Word to your day-to-day life.
And today we’re giving away 5 copies of Foundations! To enter, simply fill out the form below.
How about you? What tips do you have for staying in God’s Word during busy seasons? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!
By entering today’s giveaway, you acknowledge Lifeway Christian Resources’ official promotion rules. Today’s giveaway starts at the posting time of this blog and ends Monday (12/07/2015) at noon (12:00 pm) CST. You must be 18 to enter, and you may only enter once. The winner will be selected at random. Only participants who live in the United States or Canada are eligible to win. For questions about the rules and regulations of this giveaway, please contact Heather Warfield at One Lifeway Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-140.