Weekly Devotional: Making Time for God

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” — Matthew 6:33, NIV

The alarm blares each morning prompting you to get up out of bed and start your routine. You go from one task to the next, one responsibility to another until it's time, once again, to go to sleep and repeat the process the next day.

In today’s world, it is all too easy to fall into a routine of consuming busyness, each moment of our day being accounted for in some way or filled with some plan or task. At times, this may affect our relationship with God. We may notice that our busyness is preventing us from spending time in His word or prayer. Perhaps, our thoughts are altogether so distracted that we do not even consider this.

However, as Christians we should strive to make time for God in the busyness of life, as He should be our priority. Matthew 6:33 says “but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” It may not always be easy to seek His kingdom first, especially when we are constantly on the go or have a packed schedule; however, it is definitely a worthwhile endeavor.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33, NIV

Everyone struggles with different temptations and sins. For some people, it may be idolizing and placing something over God. Whether it be money, social media, a career, hobbies or even another person, these things can take our time and focus off of God if we do not keep ourselves in check. On their own, there is nothing wrong with giving time to these things. However, if we do not balance these aspects with our spiritual lives and time with God then they can easily become our priority.

It does not hurt to take a look at our priorities when we are busy to see where we are placing our main focus. Where are we devoting our time? Are we willing to give time to something other than God but then are hesitant when it comes to spending time with God?

This does not mean it is always simple. It can, indeed, be a struggle, but knowing our priorities and setting a goal and mindset for ourselves can help us as we work on making time for God in our busy lives.

“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” — Psalm 46:10, NIV

When we are extremely busy and do not feel like we have time for anything, sometimes we just have to take a moment to be still in the presence of God. Spending time with God does not always have to be a huge time commitment. Rather, we may start out by committing a few minutes each day of our time to reading the Bible and prayer. As we form strong habits, we can change our commitments, extend our quiet time and add other activities to deepen our faith, such as joining a small group.

As Christians, we can relay on the Holy Spirit to guide us as we balance busy work schedules, leisure time or other activities and seeking the Lord. On our own we do not have the strength but with God’s help, we can make time for God in the busyness of life.

Are you interested in earning a theology or ministry degree? Explore Grand Canyon University’s evening and online programs that allow you to earn a degree around your busy schedule. GCU helps keep God in the center by infusing a Christian identity and worldview in all our programs. To learn more, click on the Request Info button at the top of your page.