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The Real Reason Most Of Us Fail To Spend Consistent Time With God

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Another interesting reading from John G Butler done during my Quiet Time this morning. I hope it will be useful.

It’s not lack of discipline. But lack of appetite. If we don’t have a hunger for God it is because our affections have been drawn away to other loves. To name a few:

Recently a young professional shared with me the dryness of his times alone with God. He said that the Scriptures seemed flat. Irrelevant. He then explained that in his job, he and a team of analysts routinely submit reports to their superiors that affect company policy. It is a common practice, he informed me, to shade the reports in a manner that will put the team members in a favorable light with their higher-ups. If he chooses not to go along, his career is put in jeopardy. So play along he does.

Is there any doubt as to why he has little appetite for the things of God?

Last night I dined with a businessman who, for the past 3 years I’ve unsuccessfully attempted to motivate to spend consistent time with God. We’ve had “quiet times” together, talked about priorities, personal discipline, how to meditate on the Word. You name it. All to no avail.

“John,” I asked, “how‘s your time with God?” Embarrassment, fumbling. Then, “Dwight, I won‘t lie to you. It‘s not very good.” Yet this man spends 10 hours a day in his career, and untold hours in church work. But he will not carve out personal time with God.

Let’s be honest. We find time to do what we really want! So the issue is not discipline, but appetite.

“If we cannot recognize the value of simply being alone with God, as the beloved, without doing anything, we gouge the heart out of Christianity.”

QUESTION: How would you evaluate your appetite for spending time with Christ? Are you eager? Or is it obligatory? If your times with God are the blahs, what do you think is the root cause?

John G. Butler, Facts of the Matter: Daily Devotionals.

Out of fire!

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Not long ago, a 20 years old man who works at an open pit gold mine shared that amazing story. As he was busy driving heavy equipment, he unexpectedly saw a co-worker in serious trouble. Many of us are not familiar with heavy equipment, so we need a word of explanation, the driver seat are directly above the front wheels. Let’s get back to our story, when the 20 years old man saw some flames coming out of the overheat front brakes, he realized that his co-worker was in a dangerous condition. The flame keeps the driver confine inside his cabin. The flames were too high for him to get out.  Swiftly our young heroes took a fire extinguisher, ran to the truck, stop the fire, and help the workmate get out of the vehicle.  Later that day, at a meeting session, the boss thanks the young brave man for his alertness and boldness. That young man told me how deeply touched he felt at that moment, realizing how he has been instrumental in saving a life.

In a similar way, believers in the Lord Jesus are called to be alert and bold. We read in Jude 23 to ‘save others by snatching them from the fire ⌊of hell⌋’.  Our young heroes didn’t ask his co-worker if he wanted any help, in a bold action he just got him out of the flames. As believers we are called to also make some bold action.