Save the date!
My husband sometimes jokes that there is another man in my life, I tell him, yep, his name is Jesus! Spending time reading his word and learning to apply it to my life is one of my favorite things to do, but I know all too well when life gets busy, it can sometimes feel like it is just another thing on my to-do list. Here are a few tricks I recommend if you are having the same issue.
- Carve out time when you can focus on Jesus. One on one time is the foundation of a relationship. It is also something a relationship needs to grow. If you aren’t getting quality time in a relationship, it is bound to shrivel up and die. Just like you need quality time with your spouse, family, and friends, you will need quality time with Jesus. That means uninterrupted time reading his word, praying, and listening.
- Put your phone away. You wouldn’t pull out your phone to text a friend or scroll Facebook when you are on a date, at least I hope not. So it would be best if you didn’t do those things when you are spending time with Jesus. I know that I use my phone bible app, which can make this a little tricky. You may need to go old school and pull out that dusty old bible in the back of your closet, so you arent tempted to switch that bible app over to see what that notification was!
- Find a time when no one else is awake. Everyone is different. I like to have my mornings with Jesus, some people like evenings with Jesus. You want uninterrupted time so choose a time that no one else will be coming in and taking your attention away from Him. Be open to change if you’re going to do evenings, but you know you are tired at the end of the day, try to meet Him in the morning.
- Make an appointment on your calendar. It is easy to put off things we do not plan to do. I think to myself all the time,” I’d like to spend time with Jesus today,” and then never get to it because I get busy and never actually planned to do so. If you plan for it, mark out the time in your calendar, you are more likely to keep your appointment. It’s in the calendar, its a date!
- Journal to Jesus. I don’t think kids do this anymore, but growing up, we always wrote letters to our friends. Even though we saw them all day at school, it was fun to keep in touch with each other when we were apart. This year, I started journaling letters to Jesus, Aside from my prayer time. I love doing this first thing in the morning, after yoga and meditating on his word, I write a letter to Jesus in my journal and thank him for the day and any imparticular things I want to pray about that morning. Somedays I write three pages, somedays I write a half-page. It doesn’t have to be a long-drawn-out essay, just a simple thanks for this day, bless this day, let me feel your presence today. Doing this has helped me personalize and deepen my relationship with him.
It is easy to forget about Jesus if we do not think of Him as a real person. Could you imagine telling your best friend that you would spend time with them later today at some point and then ghosting them? Could you imagine doing that to your spouse or children? Jesus is real, and He is waiting for you. He is the one appointment you should never miss because what He has for you is so good, it is food for your soul. So, this brings me to our last tip!
- Notify Jesus. Make it a point to let him know when you can’t make the appointment and reschedule, just like you would anyone else. He is always available and ready when you are! When you start treating Jesus like a real friend, you will find that you are willing to make more effort to spend quality time with him!
If you are struggling in your relationship with Jesus, I hope these tips can help! Let me know if you try any of them, and how they helped you!
Wander By Faith 