Keep It Simple

For my time with you this month I wanted to share a little shift I have experienced in my walk with Jesus. My hope always is that it will be an encouragement to you...

As Christ followers today we pretty much understand that having a daily "quiet time" with the Lord is an important part of our relationship with Him. But if I'm honest, I have struggled with this discipline for as long as I can remember. And if I'm super honest, well girl, I struggle with discipline period.

I will choose a certain thing I want to accomplish, like, let's say - lose 10 lbs. I get all psyched up. I make a plan. I'm ready! I eat healthy and exercise regularly for like a week then... I want a cheeseburger and cookies with milk at midnight again!  My intentions start out good but the motivation fades pretty quick because I want the results right away. 

I would approach my quiet time in similar fashion. I get all psyched up. I make a plan and I'm ready to go! But my plan always included some lofty goal so I would quickly get discouraged and give up because I wasn't getting results. 

I used to feel like my quiet time had to result in some revelation or lesson that I could share. It had to include this “big” moment or learning experience. And when it didn't that had to mean I wasn't doing it right... Right? 

Wrong.

There is one small thing that helped me shift my perspective, listening to the Word. 

I have had the Bible app on my phone for a few years now but more recently I began listening to it. There is a feature in the app that reads God's Word to you. You can audibly hear each word and either read along with it, drive in your car, sit with your eyes closed and imagine yourself in the scene, whatever! This feature has been dare I say... "life changing"?!  I started listening to the Bible regularly and two things happened:

1. I realized one day that listening to the Bible being read aloud felt similar to having a conversation with my husband or my best friend. It hit me, my quiet time with the Lord doesn't have to be a lofty revelation of some amazing lesson every single time to “count”. Those times might happen, but day in and day out it's just a sweet conversation with the Lord. Like when my husband shares about his day or my friend updates me on her life, audibly hearing God's Word feels like He's sharing part of His day with me. It doesn't feel as daunting or out of reach anymore. 

2. I understand it in a new way. Listening to the chapters with the narrator's inflections and emphasis helps me to place myself in the story. New things stand out at me. I can highlight a verse or passage and go back to it later to study more if I want to. My favorite version to listen to is The Message. (It's not necessarily the translation, I just like that narrator best. 😊) 

“Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. 

You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month,

Never dropping a leaf,

always in blossom”

Psalm 1:2-3 (MSG)

This has been a game changer for me. Having a quiet time doesn't feel as burdensome as it used to for me. I'll admit, I put that burden on myself, the Lord did not. He just wants to spend time loving me. I, on the other hand, make it into this bigger, weightier thing.

Goodness, it's not about me anymore but about learning who He is! Each time I turn on that feature, I imagine Jesus standing next to me in the kitchen the way my husband hangs out next to me while I'm making dinner. Often times that's how we connect these days and it helps to see my time with Jesus in the same light. It's really pretty cool, I think!  

Our relationship with God is a marathon not a sprint. It's not a microwave fix all, nope. Our relationship is a lifetime into eternity, it's built to last and last. 

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” James 4:8a (NLT)

This just happens to be the season I'm in with the Lord. You may be in a different place. That's the beauty about being in a community. I want to hear what works for you! Let's encourage and build each other up! Is quiet time is struggle for you too? Do you have any tips for spending quiet time with Jesus? Have you experienced any shifts in your relationship with Jesus?  Please share in the comments below...

Post by: Jimmie Lee DiIanni