Inspirational: Being Intentional In The Busy Times
This has been the busiest season of my life. I’m a mom of two, a wife, a doula, a blogger, mentor, pastor, and I help run Youth For the Nations. As life gets busier, I find it harder to find time with God. But I don’t let that be an excuse. I have some intentional things I do that keep my relationship with God strong no matter how busy I get!
To me, being intentional with the time I have with God means it doesn’t matter if I have 10 minutes or an hour, I will invest, devote and put in the SAME effort, NO MATTER how much time I have. I don’t want it to turn into a chore or something to check off my to-do list. I want to treat it like I would a date with my husband. My husband will get the same me no matter the time or place, and so should God!
One intentional thing I do is I find a devoted place to pray and worship uninterrupted. This is one of the first things I established in my walk with God. My place is the shower. I can’t go anywhere, I can’t answer my phone, I can’t color with my kids. It’s a place that I can’t get distracted. Because I have devoted that place as my spot, when I step in the shower my mind and spirit are ready and prepared. It’s a repetitive action and has become a habit. I encourage you to find a non-distracting spot that is dedicated just for your quiet time.
One of my FAVORITE things that I started to do is listen to faith-building, Bible-based podcasts. Yes, listening to entertaining or self-help podcasts is fun, and most of the time you can benefit from them, but those aren’t going to better your relationship with God. There are so many different kinds of podcasts, so set goals for yourself. If you want to be a better leader, find someone whose leadership style AND walk with God you admire. If you want to get more in-depth on a certain book of the Bible, find a podcast that goes over that book. Be intentional with what and who you listen to and set goals on what you want to learn and how you want to grow in your relationship with God.
The last, and what I believe is the most practical thing I do is I pray OUT LOUD when I am in the car alone. It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does I take advantage of it. I find praying out loud, alone in a car, has been really refreshing and raw. There is a sense of vulnerability when I do it. There isn’t any outside pressure to make sure I pray “correctly”. When all those layers are pulled away my time with God is especially fulfilling. I want to challenge you to get vulnerable and pray out loud during your alone time with God.
I want to be intentional and do things to make Him a part of my everyday life. By doing these things and making it a habit, my relationship is still strong when life gets really crazy. What are some ways you keep your relationship with God strong during busy times of your life?