One question I get a lot from kids and young adults I mentor is how much time we should be spending with God on a daily basis. Should we spend fifteen minutes, thirty minutes or an hour with God? I know most people refer to their quiet time and daily devotions when asking this question, but I always refer back to something much bigger than just daily Bible reading when it comes to spending time with God.
A preacher on the street was asked by a passerby this question: "If Jesus were here right now in front of you, what would you say to Him?" The preacher responded by saying "He is."
There is much value in setting a time to be alone with God where you can meditate on His word, but when it comes to spending time with the Lord, it's obvious that the answer should be "every minute of your life."
We often think of spending time with God as being behind closed doors and in isolation. But what happens when you leave your isolation? Does God leave you? No, He doesn't. So many people are caught up with the idea of spending time with God on a clock-in clock-out basis that it becomes so much about the formality.
Responding to the Pharisees on the topic of rest and Sabbath, Jesus had this to say in Matthew 12:7-8: "If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." It's not so much about the formalities, the system, the sacrifices and the traditions. It has more to do with mercy, relationship and walking knowing that God is a God who goes with you because that's what matters more to God.
Colossians 2:6 says, "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him."
While you are in your office, spend time with God. While you are in your gym, spend time with God. While you're lining up in a grocery queue, spend time with God. While you are enjoying with family and friends, spend time with God. While you are in the privacy of your own room, spend time with God.
I don't mean to put aside Bible reading and devotions. I have my own set time every morning. I read my Bible and worship God between 7AM to 8AM, but that's not the only time I walk with God. We can spend time with God anywhere and everywhere, and we are to live lives as if He is always with us because He is.
How much of our time should be spent with God? All of it. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Do it for God, but more importantly do it with God.
