By: Cat Wood
“I’m sorry, I don’t have time.” This is a common go-to many of us use in response to event invites we continuously receive. Time is irreplaceable; once it’s used, it’s gone. Where does all the time in the day go? Well, let’s think about our days…time goes to our spouse, children, pets, work, household upkeep, errands, ministry needs, pleasure, social media, travel, and the list goes on and on. A lot of what we do in our day may be virtuous items to occupy a schedule, but have you ever thought about how you feel at the end of the day? I for one am exhausted! A lot of evenings I can fall right into bed.
My typical morning starts with a good cup of coffee and Jesus. I spend time with Him in prayer with my Bible open. However, there are plenty of distractions during this precious time. It’s a fight to keep my meeting consistent with Him. But, it’s a fight that is always worth it. It doesn’t matter when you schedule your time with Jesus, it just matters that you do. Because if you don’t, you are going out on the battlefield without His protection, His wisdom, His presence, and His thoughts. In the days before I knew how to meet with Him, I did exactly that, and boy oh boy were the days messy, long, and pointless.
In comparing how the days went, I was tired on either occasion, although the reasons for my tiredness were quite different. On the days when my mindset is first and foremost on God and His presence, my tiredness comes from a day well spent on working out His will, not my own, in all that unfolds. On the days I spend time with Jesus, my spirit is ready to face the minute-by-minute decisions with Him by my side. I can feel His presence and His guidance. I am mentally focused on His will and ready to fight for the quiet moments throughout the day to maintain that focus and be still in His presence.
The quiet moments always look different every single day, but I guarantee if you look, they are there. It may be when you’re folding laundry or washing dishes, or stopped at a red light in your car. These quiet moments are when we as believers get to hear Him and His will as our mind is centered on Him. It can happen anywhere at any time. Making Jesus the center of all your minutes takes time and practice, just like learning how to do anything else in life. But once Jesus is your core, your oxygen, your life will be forever changed, as you will now see everything through His lenses instead of the world’s.
That is actually where the real fight begins. When Jesus is your center, your entire atmosphere will change because the enemy doesn’t want you fighting for the Kingdom of God. He wants you centered on yourself, which puts you on the bench for God's Kingdom. You see, each one of us has the blessed opportunity of choosing the Kingdom we serve with our precious time. It’s either the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of darkness. If you choose Jesus, He will guide you down His path, but you have to take the first step.
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV
As Paul wrote in these verses, we should be keeping our eyes out for any moment to speak truth to those around us. We’re only able to do that when we make God the center of our everyday life and are seeking out those quiet moments of focus on Him.
Which kingdom are you living and fighting for? Take a step for Him and find those quiet moments. It matters to Him, and it will matter to you.
