Excuses, Excuses
Rather listen to this blog? Listen to “Excuses, Excuses.”
Before I joined my church’s Bible study group, I always made the same excuse for not spending time with God: “I’m too busy.” I’m sure tons of people relate. As a matter of fact, it appears many view being busy as a badge of honor. We’re fed this narrative that if your day isn’t scheduled out from the time you wake up to the time your head hits the pillow at night, you aren’t doing life right.
I’ve written about sacrificing time before, as well as the importance of patience. I think one of the reasons people take their time so seriously is because they know there is a finite amount of it and any second wasted cannot be retrieved. We want to get the most bang for our buck, so to speak. We want to know what we get in exchange for the currency of minutes and hours.
That could be praise from a manager at work, kudos from other parents when it comes to how well you’ve raised your kids, or the individual feeling of satisfaction that comes with the fruits of a hard day’s work. Whether it’s tangible or emotional, we are greedy beings. This is exactly why I don’t understand why people’s excuse for not spending time with God is, “I just don’t have the time!”
There’s nothing on the face of the Earth that’s more rewarding than reading your Bible. Period. Full stop. What you get in exchange for even a few minutes in His word is far more valuable than silver or gold. I get that it’s not always as easy to understand as the latest episode of your latest Netflix binge. After a full day of work and family time, most people feel drained. The last thing they want to do is think.
But there’s one thing I’m asking you to do, dear reader. Try. Even when you feel like your eyelids are made of lead, let the last thing you look at on your phone before bed be a Bible app. We already spend countless hours doom scrolling through news websites, making ourselves feel inadequate by browsing social media, or distracting ourselves from our problems by watching cat videos (it can’t just be me).
Start by taking just five minutes out of your day to read one chapter of a book that’s easy to read, like Psalms or Proverbs. Don’t set yourself up for failure by starting from the beginning (or the ending, for that matter). Numbers will put you to sleep almost instantaneously. You’ll get to that level eventually, but as the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. With each of those steps you take, you’ll find yourself losing track of the time – and you won’t mind.
You’ll discover you’ve been lying to yourself. You do have the time. You’ll find your alone time with God quickly becomes the most rewarding and vital part of your free time. You won’t find the guidance you need to face another day by watching that next episode of The Crown. Stranger Things won’t provide you with the wisdom needed to handle a confrontation you know is coming tomorrow at the office. I promise you 90 Day Fiancé doesn’t hold the answer to finding the perfect partner.
Your Bible holds the answer to all of this and more. In 2 Timothy 3:16, we learn “all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” Heck, even Jesus made time to spend time with His Heavenly Father as we see when He gets up early to pray by Himself in Mark 1:35. Combined with prayer, you’ll be far better equipped to handle the hardships of this life. So, the next time you feel compelled to turn down an invitation to church or small group, bite your tongue before the old excuse ekes out.
Shhhh. You do have time. When it comes to God, make time. You’ll be thankful you did.
