Redefining The “Quiet Time”

As a Christian, what do you think of when you hear the phrase “quiet time”? If you grew up in the church or have been a Christian for some time, you probably think of that special time in the morning when you brew your coffee, get out your favorite highlighters, and spend time in the Word with God. Recently, I believe God has been leading me on a journey to redefining what it means to have a “quiet time” with Him.

Often in the church, we hear almost weekly how important it is to have a QT (quiet time) with God. Church leaders often use Matthew 6:33 (“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”) to support their claim.

I do agree it is important to spend time with God daily, after-all we see Jesus’ example of this throughout the gospels. However, my problem is: When church leaders use the verse above to teach something along the lines of, “If you aren’t reading your Bible first thing in the morning then you aren’t putting God first in your life.”

My friends, putting God first in your life does not mean reading your Bible first thing in the morning! Putting God first in your life means your entire worldview and perspective on life is filtered through God’s Word and who He says He is.

As someone who has struggled her entire life with perfectionism, legalism, and most recently religious OCD, I struggle when I hear church leaders imply I am failing to put God first in my life if I don’t spend time with Him first thing in the morning. In fact, when they make this claim, they are taking Matthew 6:33 out of context!

Matthew 6:33 is placed in a passage where Jesus is teaching a crowd not to worry about their lives. Jesus says we are to put our trust in Him to supply all we need, not ourselves. Hence, when Jesus says to seek after Him in this chapter, He is referring to us being more concerned with the things of God rather than obsessively worrying about how we are going to work to supply the physical things we need and want.

The point I want to make is this: putting God first is a lifestyle. His Word affects what you consume on social media, what books you read, how you talk to someone you don’t like, how you respond in stressful situations, and how you treat your coworkers. Putting God first means committing yourself to Jesus’ way of life and letting Him transform and sanctify you through and through.

So, as a Christian who sees and hears things a bit differently because of my diagnoses for religious OCD, if you are a church leader or a servant of Christ, please stop telling people putting God first and having a QT is reading your Bible first thing in the morning.

The next logical question then becomes, what am I suggesting? What do I believe is the more Biblical way to have a QT with God?

First, let me say, I believe there is so much grace! This is something I have had to learn and I am continuing to work on. The first thing you must learn is to give grace to yourself just as God does. No more time constraints; no more “must haves” or “must dos.” Get rid of your “should thinking.” Next, I recommend figuring out what time of day works best for you and your schedule. This may take some time, maybe even some trial and error. In the end, however, it will be worth it to find that time in the day when you can be quiet in the presence of God.

The next step in the process is the part I am still wrestling through. For now, my process again involves giving myself grace; I look at the day and decide what is feasible. If I have time to read my Bible, great! If I have time or want to journal as well, then I do it. If I have a busier morning and can’t get to it first thing, then I do it in the evening or at some other point in the day.

I believe if we are going to start having a healthy relationship with our God then it’s time to realize we are human and our great God delights to meet us here. He loves us; I think we forget this way too often. Somehow we have gone from Christ saying to not worry about our lives to I have to be perfect in reading my Bible every day.

As I conclude this blog, I hope it encourages you to take the pressure off of your quiet time with God. If you are feeling stuck, take a pause. Re-evaluate what would make your quiet time with God more enjoyable for you and then do it! Don’t become legalistic or harsh on yourself when you don’t get a chance to read your Bible first thing in the morning. Breathe. Remember God’s grace covers you and He loves you! He will delight in any chance or time He gets to spend with you.

On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:12-13

Alyssa Rasor