Have you every felt like "doing devotions" is more like homework that anything else?
Yeah me too.
For most of my life.
Really until about 3 months ago my "daily devotions" felt mostly like something I had to do because I love Jesus. More like a chore than anything else. While spending time with God should be more like a date with my wife- just spending time with her, it tended to be more like unloading the dishwasher - which I do because I love her... but it's boring... and I don't really like it.
Here's the problem: spiritual development tends to get relegated to a one size fits all remedy for any spiritual trouble. We have a tendency to reduce our time with God to a script that stifles individuality and creativity. As a result many believers find themselves doing homework in order to earn a celestial grade instead of connecting with their creator in a beautiful, relational way.
The reality of the relationship God seeks with us is that, as any relationship, it is individual and unique. There are basic actions and emotions that define every human relationship. Any two marriages will have varying levels of overlap in the way the man and woman interact. Conversely, any two marriages will have distinct differences that simply will not work if applied directly to another relationship. Unique individuals interact with each other in unique ways. This is true of marriage and it is true of following Christ. Each individual - though there are levels of overlap and foundational actions and emotions - connects with God in unique and personal ways. Rather than being an assembly line of uniformly made creatures we exist as a mosaic in which each distinct line and color adds beauty and interest to the whole. In Sacred Pathways, Gary Thomas identifies 9 distinct ways in which humans connect with God (Thomas, 2015). I don't want to recount the book to you. You should just buy or borrow it. What I do want to do is move you.
I want you to get excited about the fact that God has made you as a unique individual and wants to connect with you as a unique individual. Then I want you to take that excitement and channel it into action. Do something about it. Figure out how God has uniquely made you to connect with him. Take a walk in the woods, hang out with a homeless person, read a theology book full of big words, attend a liturgical service somewhere, get really quiet and meditate on God's goodness. Try it. Figure it out.
Read the book about it. Then, whatever way God has made you to connect with him, do that. And if it doesn't look like someone else's "daily devotions" who cares?! You shouldn't. As long as you have found a way to spend time with God every day so that you get to know him better, cool. Do that.
God is not a cosmic principle here to make sure you perform well in class. God is a Father-Savior-Comforter-Counselor-Friend who wants you to know him and spend time with him.
Yeah me too.
For most of my life.
Really until about 3 months ago my "daily devotions" felt mostly like something I had to do because I love Jesus. More like a chore than anything else. While spending time with God should be more like a date with my wife- just spending time with her, it tended to be more like unloading the dishwasher - which I do because I love her... but it's boring... and I don't really like it.
Here's the problem: spiritual development tends to get relegated to a one size fits all remedy for any spiritual trouble. We have a tendency to reduce our time with God to a script that stifles individuality and creativity. As a result many believers find themselves doing homework in order to earn a celestial grade instead of connecting with their creator in a beautiful, relational way.
The reality of the relationship God seeks with us is that, as any relationship, it is individual and unique. There are basic actions and emotions that define every human relationship. Any two marriages will have varying levels of overlap in the way the man and woman interact. Conversely, any two marriages will have distinct differences that simply will not work if applied directly to another relationship. Unique individuals interact with each other in unique ways. This is true of marriage and it is true of following Christ. Each individual - though there are levels of overlap and foundational actions and emotions - connects with God in unique and personal ways. Rather than being an assembly line of uniformly made creatures we exist as a mosaic in which each distinct line and color adds beauty and interest to the whole. In Sacred Pathways, Gary Thomas identifies 9 distinct ways in which humans connect with God (Thomas, 2015). I don't want to recount the book to you. You should just buy or borrow it. What I do want to do is move you.
I want you to get excited about the fact that God has made you as a unique individual and wants to connect with you as a unique individual. Then I want you to take that excitement and channel it into action. Do something about it. Figure out how God has uniquely made you to connect with him. Take a walk in the woods, hang out with a homeless person, read a theology book full of big words, attend a liturgical service somewhere, get really quiet and meditate on God's goodness. Try it. Figure it out.
Read the book about it. Then, whatever way God has made you to connect with him, do that. And if it doesn't look like someone else's "daily devotions" who cares?! You shouldn't. As long as you have found a way to spend time with God every day so that you get to know him better, cool. Do that.
God is not a cosmic principle here to make sure you perform well in class. God is a Father-Savior-Comforter-Counselor-Friend who wants you to know him and spend time with him.
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