"Doing the will of God leaves me no time for disputing about His plans." - George MacDonaldSpending time with God does not always feel like an easy task.
Many Christians in today's society view time with God as a checkbox on their to-do list for the day. They give the five minutes in the morning with their breakfast, go off and do everything else in their day, pray before meals and maybe again before you turn on Netflix as you drift off to sleep. We are a busy people; there is a constant struggle of balancing meeting deadlines, working, going to classes, trying to sleep, and maintaining a strong social life. It's even worse on the days that everything is going wrong and you just don't know how you'll get it It is not that we don't love God or spending time with Him! It's just easier to do your "Christian duty" in the morning and get it over with to keep you from the guilt of not doing it through the day.
But what happens when God decides to disrupt that plan?
We so carefully try to craft our lives. We set schedules for our days, weeks, or even years. So what happens when you experience that feeling when God is telling you to do something and you are caught between what He is telling you to do or what you think you need to do?
Sometimes we tell ourselves we just do not have the time to go to church, read the Bible, spend time in fellowship with other believers, care for, or even just pray for others because we are "too busy." Even when that nudge at our heart is strong, we can talk ourselves out of it because of the strain of homework or whatever is weighing on us that day. So what do we do when we have to finish that paper and God is telling us to go to church? Or perhaps He is telling us to go pray for that coworker when we know we will be late for our class?
Brothers and sisters, we are not smarter than God. He knows what we need. He knows where we need to be and when we need to be there. He knows what He has planned for us. We are not here to live a life about getting the best grades, having a job, or an active social life. We are here for loving and serving a living God. We are called to be ministers, disciples, and members of the body of Christ. This requires much more of us than the 5-minute routine we tend to give to the Lord.
I found myself in a situation this week where I knew God wanted me to go to a night service at church, but I had to meet a deadline. I decided I would go to church and then just leave early. Ha... No. It amazes me on what happens when I stop trying to control and instead listen to what God has to say. I went to that service, where I was able to hear a message that I needed to hear. More importantly, there was someone there I needed to talk and minister to. So even though it was not my plan, God had me at the right place at the right time.
It is up to you to choose whose plan you entrust your life to you - yours or God's.
"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps." - Proverbs 19:9
