I have been reading devotionals for many, many years now. I would like to say that it has
been a daily practice, but it hasn’t. In truth, there have been periods in my life when the absence of devotionals has stretched longer than I care to admit. Certainly, there were devotional moments, but not a practice of devoted time and focus. Such might be a
professional hazard for a pastor–reading scripture for a Bible study or for a sermon may be construed as one’s devotional time. And at times, perhaps it is. But I know how easily this becomes an excuse and poor substitute for genuine devotional time. It is like a professional athlete who substitutes his or her practice and training for the recreational time we all need.
Devotional time is easily squeezed out of our busy schedules by the skewed priorities we adopt or accept.
Some of you may be familiar with Bill Hybel’s book Too Busy Not To Pray which sums up in its title the truth of the matter. When we neglect devotional time then we eventually reap what we sow: chaos and anxiety, our lives and relationship spinning out of a grace-filled orbit of God’s presence. Our busy lives should not be an excuse for neglecting our spiritual lives, instead they should be illustrations for the necessity of developing our spiritual lives more fully.
Devotional time offers many benefits including:
- growth in faith
- enrichment in one’s life
- spiritual strength
- encouragement
- clarity; a reminder of what matters
- a centering of one’s heart
- avenues to healthy relationships with others
The overall purpose devotionals serve, however, is to be the doorway through which we pass into God’s presence. One way I like to think about my own devotional time is to imagine a small piece of real estate where God and I meet. That’s all a devotional is—being in the presence of
Christ. At times that might be a numinous, spiritual, worshipful experience. At times it might be like sitting down with a friend, sitting down with Jesus and chatting or just being with one another. There is no substitute for this. Of course, God is always there, always available, no appointment necessary. The issue, however, is are we available to meet God? Though devotional routines are helpful–particular times of the day, particular habits that help us keep the practice–these help us develop an appetite and hunger for the intentional, solitary time we spend with Christ–so that when we miss it we feel as if we’ve missed a nourishing meal and our stomachs are growling for the sustenance.
That God is always there, always available, requiring no appointment is a blessing, but it easily becomes a way to postpone taking the time to intentionally spend in God’s presence. We might fall prey to the faulty ideas that “other things are pressing and demanding and buzzing around us, God will, after all, still be there tomorrow or the next day or in a decade or two.” True as it may be, it is a path that leads us in a direction that bears the fruit of spiritual neglect, the fruit of God’s absence.
Now, how do we engage in, support and resource such a practice? Devotional materials abound. I know that there have been times that my ambition to sit in Christ’s presence has motivated me to commit to a particular devotional resource that just doesn’t work for me. Again, I’ve used this as a good excuse to toss the practice away (to my own peril!). Each of us is unique–God knows that; the One who created us and calls us into a restored and reconciled relationship is able to relate to us as we need, so try different resources. Don’t give up. If a particular devotional doesn’t “light your fire” on some day then set it aside and say so to God. Talk to God about what you need and how to find it (in other words you can even make the discovery of devotional time your devotional time).
The point is: Get yourself in the presence of Christ on a daily basis so that Christ begins to inhabit all of your moments. That’s what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Stephen Carl