Going places.  Going here, going there, going everywhere.  Constantly moving.  Hanging out with as many friends as possible, as often as possible, as long as possible.  It can be fun to live like this.  Going through each day without even a second to breathe.  It’s exhausting, but at least you never get bored. 

During this quarantine, we all have been forced to slow down, a lot.  Do you ever find that feeling of having nothing to do uncomfortable?  I do.  I like living fast, with a packed schedule.  I’ve got things to do, places and people to see.  But one thing I’ve noticed while slowing down is the fact that sometimes I occupy my time with so many things because I want to run away from things I ought to be doing.  I know my own flaws better than anyone else, and when I have nothing to do, its easy for me to start thinking about those flaws, which isn’t always a comfortable experience. 

Part of being in a relationship with someone is taking the TIME to be with them.  Relationships take time, and so does our relationship with God.  When we are constantly filling our schedules with a million other things, its hard to find time to spend with God.  We go, go, go, then get exhausted by the time we are home, fall asleep, and repeat the process.  But when do we spend time with God?  We have to slow down and spend that time with Him the way we would for any relationship. 

Imagine two people just started dating, but they only spend 15 minutes a month talking to each other.  15 minutes a month just isn’t enough time to get to know someone.  That’s only 3 hours A YEAR!  You need to invest way more time than that if you hope your relationship will ever amount to anything.  Apply this same understanding to God.  How often do you talk to Him?  Is it 15 minutes a month? 

From time to time someone tells me, “Luke, I don’t feel God in my life.  When I talk to Him I feel like I’m talking to a wall.”  My question for them is always, “How much time do you spend talking to Him?”  There response is almost always, “Not much.”  Imagine if you talked to a real person the way you talk to God.  Would you feel comfortable talking to that person?  Probably not!  It would feel like you are talking to a complete stranger.  So why do so many people expect it to feel different with God?

This week, don’t let mental distraction stop you from getting to know God.  Don’t be strangers with God.  He is always there, willing to speak with us whenever we want.  If you want a deep relationship with Jesus, its time to spend the time.  Psalm 46:10 – “Be still and know that I am God.”