Let me share a bit about my life to illustrate this. When I was young, my grandmother showed me, by her example, the importance of having a time set aside to be with the Lord each day, praying and studying His Word (beyond Bible studies or church). I began this habit and continued in it regularly. I am thankful that I had many years of this habit before I became a mother.
I had spent 10 years in the Air Force full-time so when I came home to take care of my two children, it was quite a change! I gave birth to Rachel and then 6 weeks later, went to China to adopt 10-month-old baby Grace. So, it was a bit like having twins. That first year was filled with blessings but it was also very difficult. I suffered from Post-Partum Depression, insomnia and intense anger at times. I had never in my life been in such a difficult place. I remember waking up some mornings and dreading the start of the day.
While my family and friends were incredibly supportive, I believe the number one reason I made it through and the number one blessing that came from that first year was my daily quiet time with the Lord! I am not exaggerating when I say that I only had about an hour, every day, of free time (Rachel slept with us that first year and so I didn't go to bed until she did). During that hour or so, as Grace napped upstairs and Rachel napped beside me, I opened by Bible, read and prayed.
There was nothing else that I could have done that would have been more beneficial to me and to our family than those hours spent with the Lord! If you are familiar with the Michael W. Smith song...This is the Air I Breathe...that described my life. God was closer than He ever had been before. He filled me with the strength, encouragement and wisdom I needed, each day, to keep going. And through those days of utter dependance on Him, I got to a place where my quiet time was the time of day I most looked forward to. I am serious when I say this and I don't think it is disloyal to my family. Yes, I loved and still cherish the time I spend with my family each day (one of the reasons I teach my children at home) but, I got to a place in my life where I loved God even more. Where I looked forward to that time and would not give it up for other things. You've got to get to this place...this place of utter dependance...before you will have a daily, committed time to Him that comes before any other commitments in your life.
Jesus did this. Here is the God of the Universe, come to earth with only three short years to do all that He had planned. His schedule was much fuller than any of ours, yet He made time daily, usually in the early mornings or late at night, to get away to be with God.
Now I tell you all this, about myself, not to increase your guilt about not having a quiet time but to encourage you to try again. But this time, don't do it out of a guilty sense of obligation. Instead, remember that you are going to be spending eternity with God and you want to get to know Him now. Remember, He looks forward to hearing from you...you are so very special to Him. Imagine how you would feel if your husband or children talked to you only once or twice a day, for a few minutes. You would yearn for more...more time to tell them what you were thinking and hear what was on their hearts. God wants that from us. He wants to talk to us. He wants us to get to know Him. And as we get to know Him, He will begin to speak to us about the things that really matter to Him; about the things He wants us to be doing with our time.
It was during this first year of parenting, that God really began to develop a heart, in me, for His Church and the lost. As I focused my eyes and thoughts upwards, and outwards, my own problems began to get smaller. I began to focus less on myself and the difficulties in my life, and more on God, on His strength and on other people. That, too, was a lifesaver.
There is so much more I could say about this topic which is so dear to my heart, but I'm sure you have probably already heard it or read it before. Bottom line...a daily quiet time takes time, commitment, and perseverance but the reward is so worth it! I promise you that if you set aside this time, God will be faithful. He will help you stay committed. And if it means you may lose a bit of sleep (to wake up early or stay up late in order to spend time with Him), He will give you the energy you need for the rest of the day. We, as Christians, pour ourselves out for everyone all day long. But it's our time with the Lord that refills us each day. If you aren't being refilled, you are running on empty!
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