Busyness: Has It Effected Your Relationship?
By: Kristen L. McNulty
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When you are in High School it is very easy to let your relationship with God fall into the background. Between homework, classes, extra-curricular activities, church and youth group, it can be hard to stop for a time out and just spend time with God. I know how it feels to go to school, do your homework, then look at the clock and see that you only have a half hour left before bedtime. It would be much easier to plop down in front of the TV and relax than to pick up your bible and try to concentrate when you are mentally fried. Just like on a Friday night it's more exciting to go out than to sit at home and pray or read your bible after a long week at school. But does that mean that we shouldn't do it? The bible says, "Young man, it's wonderful to be young; Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in." You may stop reading your bible there, grab your jacket and head over to your friends house, but had you continue to read it says, "But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do" (Ecc 11:9). Yes, it may be a lot 'easier' to toss aside your time with God to relax or watch TV or go our with friends, but in the long run what are those things really worth? God jealously longs for us to be faithful to him (James 4:5). He's waiting to spend time with you.
Satan uses our busyness to get between us and God. If he can't get us to sin in one way or another, making us busy is the perfect way to put a distance between us and God. But remember, that he only succeeds if we let him.
We have choices to make everyday. Am I going to live for God or not? Will I spend time with God or will I not? Will I give in temptation or will I fight the good fight? We make these choices everyday and although they may seem like small choices now, they may have great rewards or great consequences. Once you start making choices day by day to live for God, to spend time with God, and to fight temptation, it won't be long before your relationship with God is much better than it was. It also won't belong before you notice a difference in the way you do things and in the way you feel. On the other hand, once you start living for yourself, making that choice day by day, it won't be long before you feel distant from God. Then suddenly, it's not so easy to fight off temptation as easily. Before you know it, one choice at a time, you've drifted far away from God.
You have the choice now. Take time for God. Even if it means juggling you schedule a bit. Try praying while walking to school or while sitting on the bus. Take fifteen minutes at lunch time to read your bible. It doesn't matter where or when, as long as it happens. Once you get into a routine, you will find it's not so hard to spend time with God. You'll also find you are a lot closer to God and being close to God can actually save you time! Don't believe me? Well, before I was a Christian I used to get into a lot of trouble at home because I had a problem with anger. Sometimes I'd waste many hours on Saturdays being mad at everyone or getting sent to my room. After I got saved and started to get to know God, my anger started to fade away and now I rarely have any problems. See, by taking the time to know God, I've eliminated the time spent in anger sinning which was wasting time I could of spent on other things. In the end, the fifteen minutes I used to spend with God every day saved me a couple hours on a Saturday. Doesn't sound too bad does it?
This devotional was aired as a part of the Making A Difference Christian Radio Show.