As a little girl, I remember peering through my mom and dad’s slightly ajar bedroom door and seeing my mom kneeling beside her bed praying, with her Bible open. This was a scene I observed many mornings after and even when I didn’t glance in to see her, I knew she was there spending time with her Savior. This had a profound impact on me. My mom, who is now 87 years old and widowed, still faithfully spends time in the Word and prayer every day. After all these years, I still am comforted by this.
Fast forward more than a few years…
Feeling a bit overwhelmed in life with two little girls under the age of two and the demands of being a pastor’s wife, I desperately wanted some sanity and perspective in my life. Though I’d become a believer many years earlier, my quiet times had become sporadic at best. I knew I wasn’t living in obedience to Christ by taking such a careless attitude in this area of my life. My children needed to know as they grew that I valued my relationship with Christ above all else. I wanted them to have that security I’d felt knowing my mom was spending time with the Lord daily. More than this, I needed this time with my Savior. The answer was to make spending time in the Word a priority. So I did. I started getting up at 6:30 every morning to a hot cup of coffee, with my Bible and a notebook in hand.
There were days when one or more of my children (as our family grew in number) would wake up earlier than normal and “mess up my schedule”, but it didn’t happen often and as they got older, they knew they were expected to be quiet until I had finished. As I began to make my spiritual life a priority, our children realized that my husband and I were not just spewing Christian phrases, but we were living what we were teaching them. God was not just an impersonal entity in the cosmos, He was (and is) personal, real and involved in our lives.
Am I suggesting every day will be trouble-free as you enter into a regular time with God? Absolutely not. But you will grow in your knowledge of God which will, in turn, strengthen your faith and deepen your love for Him. Your life will be enriched in ways you could never have imagined as you make meeting with Him a priority each day.
If you want your children to have a relationship with Jesus, you must model it for them. Our words have a much more powerful influence on our kids when accompanied by actions. So I would encourage you to make this appointment with God your highest priority each day. It is a decision you will not regret.
Blessings as you walk in faithfulness,
Barb
Photo Credit: http://fatherhollywood.blogspot.com/2009/11/lectio-caffea.html
Share this post: