How to Become Rich and Flavorful in Christ

This past year has been one of constant change. Just when I thought things were slowing down, another wind would kick up and whip my life into a whirlwind. Sometimes I’ve felt dizzy from all the flurry. Today, we’re slowing down to look at something for which I have a deep belief. It’s something we have to do daily, and it’s something that takes a bit of time.

True Story Ahead

Looking back over the last seven months one thing that’s been a constant is how I’ve struggled to find my new rhythm being alone with just Jesus every day.

Starting a new job, new schedule, new hairstyle, new activities, and a new season of life has challenged me. It’s caused an unsettling in my soul.

I hate to admit it, but too many times in the last seven months, my first-thing-in-the-morning routine alone with Jesus has been pitiful.

Nevertheless, my soul needs to be alone with Jesus every. single. day. So, I press on to figure it out how to cling to Jesus alone first thing every morning.

Reduction Sauce

In cooking, a reduction is a process of cooking down a liquid mixture such as soup, wine, or juice very slowly so that there’s just a smidge of the original ingredient. What’s left behind is a beautiful thick, flavorful sauce. If you’ve never tasted a reduction sauce, they’re delicious.

But when we reduce our alone time with Jesus, usually delicious is not the result. We’re getting reduction, but not the kind that produces richness and flavor. Rather, we get a reduction of what we’re meant to receive from Him.

I want more of Jesus, not less.

Excuses

I’m to blame.

Over the past few months, I’ve used many excuses why I can’t get enough alone time with just Jesus first thing in the morning. Keep in mind, I don’t even have children at home any more. I should have plenty of time. Maybe some of these excuses resonate with you:

• It takes me longer to drive to work.
• I start work earlier too.
• My hair, yes, my hair, takes longer to fix. (Thus, robbing me of precious time with Jesus. My hair is a story for another time.)
• Eating healthy food not only takes longer to prepare, but chewing healthy food takes longer to eat than chewing unhealthy food. I choose to eat healthy. Do you see my dilemma?
• I’m not a morning person. Rising earlier than 5 a.m. feels like getting up in the middle of night to me. I need sleep too.
• Sometimes I forget or am too tired to pack my lunch each evening, which means I have to pack it in the morning. It’s amazing how much time packing a healthy lunch takes.
• I’ll just listen to a sermon while I drive. That will count as my alone time with Jesus. Won’t it? After all, I’m all alone with Him in the car as I drive. Right? (Michelle’s thoughts: “I can’t believe that driver just cut me off! Seriously? Another accident? Wait, what did the speaker just say? NO! Why are we slowing down? I have to get to work! Come on people, drive! Stop gawking at the accident. Great, I just missed last point on the sermon. Rewind podcast, Michelle.”)

These are the challenges tugging at me each morning.

For those of you who prefer alone time with Jesus in the evening, that’s great. He’s not legalistic about it. I’ve just been charged to give Him my first. For over four years this is when I’m alone with Him.

But hey, with all the changes in my life this year, I thought I’d switch to evenings since clearly my mornings are too hectic and distracting for me now.

Friends, here’s my evening excuses. See if any of this happens to you too:

• I got home late from work because I had errands to run: post office, bank, and grocery store for that one ingredient I forgot to buy for a meal I planned to make for dinner.
• I have to exercise. Okay, can we be serious here. A 30-minute workout doesn’t just take 30 minutes. They never talk about the pre- and post-workout part: changing clothes. For me that includes pulling on tights, which takes five minutes. At which point I realize I didn’t use the bathroom before, so I have to pull those tights on again. Then, I have put on the dreaded sports bra. This clothing activity alone breaks a sweat and should count for at least 10 minutes of actual workout time.
• Finally, done with my exercise, I can cook our evening meal. More time.
• Dishes. Need I say more?
• I suppose I should look through the mail.
• Take a quick shower to rinse off the day’s sweat (or not). To save time, I just put on my jammies instead because I didn’t sweat that much exercising, just putting on my exercise clothes.
• Well, I better at least wash my face.
• Okay, realistically, I’ve been up now 15 hours. Am I really going to sit down with Jesus alone for a quiet time? If I sit, it’s all over. My eyes get heavy and start drooping as I read. Blink. What did I just read? Reread it. I finally surrender and go to bed.

Friends, this has been a struggle for me for seven months. I understand the challenge of daily alone time with Jesus. I’ve experimented with various rhythms to find one that works with my new season of life.

Here’s what I’ve learned. Every season of life is busy. Each season requires us to adjust to it. We can find a million excuses why we need to reduce our time with Jesus.

Here’s my deep belief: No matter what season we are in, we should never adjust by reducing our alone time with Jesus.

If you’re struggling to be alone with Jesus every day, or reducing your time with Him, I have too, and so do others. Still I plead, do NOT give in to the temptation of not showing up. You’ll be reduced in so many other ways by reducing your alone time with Jesus.

Responsibilities and Distractions

How do we do make our alone time with Jesus a reduction?

1.  We take on too much, which reduces our time.

When we say “Yes” to one thing, we simultaneously say “No” to something else even if what we agree to take on is a good thing.

   2.  We substitute time with Jesus thinking we are spending time alone with Him.

While viewing social media and reading a quick Bible verse on someone’s Instagram or Facebook status is good, it should never replace our alone time with Jesus.

Nor should listening to audio books, podcasts, online sermons, or talk radio. These are excellent ways of hearing about God and being encouraged. I’ve personally been drawn to these media myself for encouragement and learning, but they should never replace alone time with Jesus. Listening to audio in my car or while I cook is a great way to keep engaged and encouraged, but these activities are not a replacement for my alone time.

I’ve longed to get back to more time with Jesus alone first thing in the morning. It’s harder now. But that doesn’t mean I get to squeeze Jesus in as I drive to work, cook, clean, or exercise.

No, I have a responsibility to crowd out the world and all its distractions and sit alone with Jesus. I need, we need, to personally spend time with just Him.

Making Adjustments

I’ve had to sacrifice some things by letting go, changing, or reducing in order to fit my alone time with Jesus in daily each morning before work.

Here’s a few things I’ve personally done to adjust so that I get my first-in-the-morning alone time with Jesus:

• I set my alarm for 4:45 a.m. now.
• I only wash my hair every three days and refresh it the other days.
• I make my lunch at night.
• I drink a protein shake for breakfast instead of cooking and chewing my food.

Whatever time of day works for you, find it, schedule it, and honor it.

Like a reduction sauce takes time to become rich and flavorful, so we will as we slowly day after day steep in our alone time with Jesus.