How To Find Time for God When Life is too Busy
As a Christian, God is important to you. However, it can be easy to allow the busyness of life slip in and take priority over your time. It happens. Work picks up; schedules become filled with children’s games and practices. Major events throw the usual routine into a season of fighting weariness and fatigue. What are you to do when you’re struggling to do just one more thing? How can you find time with God when it is difficult to do during this season of life? We’ve included some fresh ideas if you’re struggling to spend time that needed time with God.
Considering Priorities
We all need to do a little life evaluation at times. Considering and re-establishing priorities is an important step in that process. Without checking in with yourself from time to time, it’s easy for priorities to unknowingly change. You might find it a helpful exercise to make a list–preferably written down–of your current commitments and priorities, and order them from most important to least important based on where you are currently spending the most time, energy, and resources. Then, make a second list of what you’d like your priorities to be from most important to least important. Consider where faith and growing in your relationship with God falls. Make a commitment to place God first in your life and do some problem solving to figure out what in this current season or life situation can change for you to put God first.
Aim for Smaller Portions of Time
Sometimes, seasons demand more time and energy. It may seem that finding additional time to do one more thing seems difficult. For example, if you’re a mom of young children or a caregiver, you may find available time in short bursts of time. If you’re in a season like this, using smaller amounts of time might be what you can give currently. It’s preferable to start with five, ten or fifteen minutes in your day and accept that your time may be interrupted by other demands. God is not surprised by your situation. Allow yourself the grace to use these smaller portions of time to spend with God.
Getting Creative
For the busy individual or one who’s unsure when to spend time, you may need to get creative! Ask the Holy Spirit to give you creative ideas to spend more time with God. He is our helper and can provide insight, inspiration and conviction when needed. Below are some ideas to get your mind going. We suggest thinking of ways to spend time with God before, during or after doing a task. Here are some ideas:
- Pair your time with God while you’re driving by listening to worship music, listening to a sermon, or spending it in prayer.
- Practice solitude or meditation while taking a walk in your neighborhood or around your home.
- Take a lunch break and read the Bible.
- While doing a chore, add in spiritual practice.
- Listen to a song that sings Scripture to help you memorize and commit it to memory.
There are many options. It’s about finding what works for you. Be sure to give yourself permission to try different ways of communing with God and change it as needed.
Delving Deeper through Christian Counseling in Raleigh NC
Sometimes, making a few tweaks to your schedule or priorities may not be an easy change due to other reasons. You might feel angry, resentful, hurt or bitter towards God. You might have trouble trusting God although you want to. You might have experienced spiritual abuse, trauma or church hurt that makes time with God seem painful or confusing. Alternatively, you might feel an anxious fear or struggle with doubt. In these cases, it may be important to dig further into reasons creating distance between you and God. You might find it helpful to talk with a friend or mentor about these concerns. In cases of deeper wounds and hurts, speaking with a trained Christian counselor can help you navigate your faith and obstacles to having the relationship you’d like with God. If you’re located within NC, our therapists are trained to provide Christian counseling to those located in Raleigh NC and in NC or at certain locations abroad through online therapy.