Not so “quiet” time

Spending time alone with Jesus is the lifeblood of Christians. Craig and I believe this so much, we’ve made it our lives’ purpose to help Christians spend meaningful time with God every day. 

We as human beings are not sufficient within ourselves, even though we often act like we are. Despite living in a do-it-all world, we will all eventually reach our limit and find ourselves thirsting again and again. That is why it’s essential for us to tap into the endless well of Jesus day after day. Christ says in John 4:13–14, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Jesus promises to satisfy our thirst. He promises us springs of life. In the days ahead, you and your spouse will be pushed to your limits, and Jesus will be there every step of the way, throwing you a lifeline. The question is: Will you choose to take it? Or struggle forward in your own strength? This will be a very real choice you’ll both have to make. Choosing to cling to Jesus for wisdom, kindness, grace, strength, and energy will be essential in the newborn days, when perhaps in other times of your life, it seemed you could “get by” without it.

The newborn season will radically change your dependence on God and rearrange the way you see and meet with him. The best part is discovering the grace readily available to you in every lack, every need, every hurt. When you bring your baby home for the first time, you can discover God’s nearness and help as you tap into and embrace the radical dependence you have on him.

I guilted myself for a long time after having children because my devotional time with God didn’t look like it did in college anymore. I felt like God was disappointed in me or like I wasn’t doing enough. In reality, time with God isn’t meant to be a checked box or a way to please God. Spending time with the Lord was and always will be primarily about connecting with God. 

This is not one-size-fits-all, and it’s not a contest. Everyone encounters the Lord in different ways because we are all completely different people. Don’t even try to compete with your past self! Drop the guilt at the door, because that’s truly not the gospel of Christ. Hold on to the promise of God’s presence, because his word never fails.

This is an excerpt from A Parent’s Guide to a New Baby, for daily discussion questions and guided prayer, click here .