Why do I even keep trying?
This thought entered my mind dozens of times over the past few months. Like when I hit snooze and had to skip reading my Bible to start work on time; when another day passed without memorizing scripture; and when I once again added “consistent quiet time” to my monthly list of goals.
I used to be the girl who was good at having consistent quiet time. I almost never missed a day of reading my Bible. But when I started school and my schedule changed, I began to struggle to maintain my previously rock-solid habit. And as I struggled with my quiet time habit, I began to ask myself why I even continued trying when I just kept failing.
The reality is, all of us will face seasons when maintaining consistent quiet time is challenging. Praise the Lord, He offers us abundant grace for different seasons of life, and He doesn’t expect our quiet time to look the same in every season! There are dozens of ways to be creative and still spend time with the Lord in the midst of school, work, kids, and sickness.
However, when my quiet time suddenly went from easy to challenging, I needed to remind myself why I keep fighting to spend time with Jesus even when it’s difficult.
Why keep trying?
The benefits of having consistent quiet time are numerous but two reasons in particular especially motivate me to keep fighting.
1. To know Jesus and be known by Him.
Our primary goal of spending time in the Word and prayer should be to know Jesus Christ. This is far different from gaining intellectual knowledge about the Bible or God. To truly know God is similar to the way you know what your spouse is thinking without him telling you; the same way you know what your child needs by the way they are crying; it’s how you know that your best friend is stressed before they mention their exam.
This is how God wants us to know Him. And this can only happen through time and fellowship with Him.
Reading God’s word and praying are the best ways to grow in intimacy with Jesus. This is because God has chosen to reveal Himself to us through His word. This is where He teaches us what He is like. And prayer is where we talk to Him, ask Him questions, tell Him what we are struggling with, thank Him, and where we listen for His voice of comfort, wisdom, and rebuke.
So, I keep fighting for fellowship with Christ even when it’s hard–especially when it’s hard–because it’s the only way to get to know Jesus intimately.
2. Because we need Him.
The second reason to fight for fellowship with Christ when it’s hard is that everything we have, and need is from Him. Without God, we can do nothing.
When we are in busy and challenging seasons it’s even more vital that we fight for time in His word and prayer because we need His strength and grace, and wisdom all the more. How can we know the wisdom of God or receive the strength of God for our days when we don’t sit at His feet, ready to receive?
Sacrificing our time to read or listen to the Bible is a way of demonstrating our dependence upon the Lord and asking for His life to empower and strengthen us.
It’s not easy to maintain a consistent quiet time in every season. But in every season, it is vital to know God and receive His abundant grace. As we humble ourselves and sacrifice our time, He will pour out abundance into our lives as we need.
This post was originally published on Wholehearted Quiet Time.