By HUNTER GREENE
We live in a world where the luxury of having alone time for meditation and prayer is rare. For most of us, the burdens of work, school, family, and other responsibilities keep us running all over the place all the time. We don’t have much time to breathe, much less sit down and think. We also live in a world that hates silence and isolation. Even when we do have some peace and quiet, we have to constantly be on our phones or flipping through the TV channels. I am the world’s worst at this. I go from class to practice to church to homework to bed, and I fill up most of the little free time I have scrolling through Facebook and Twitter.
I find more problems with my busy schedule the busier I get because my alone time with God is often replaced with social media, TV, or a nap. If we are all being honest, I don’t just think this is a millennial problem either. I believe we all can easily replace our alone time with God with something irrelevant. The problem is that we get so busy and so distracted that we expect God to shoot us a text message or an email with His will. We expect God to just call us up on our cell phones as we drive down the road. Obviously, God doesn’t communicate like this. God desires your undivided attention as He pours His presence into your soul, but this often requires you to stop and listen just for a few minutes.
1 Samuel 3:1-10 says, “And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.”
Just like Samuel, God calls us time and time again to come enjoy Him and to speak with Him, but we just keep running. We run all over the creation with a million different errands and responsibilities that are so important that we forget to talk with the Creator. We run so much that we forget the still, small voice of God and often confuse our will and the advice of others with His voice. We run from God rather than running to God.
Just like Samuel, the word of the Lord is not being revealed to us. So many Christians complain that they don’t know what God’s will is for their life, and their Bible hasn’t been opened since last Sunday. God has given us a guidebook for this life, but the latest viral Facebook video has stolen our attention. Samuel didn’t know God’s voice because Samuel was yet to be exposed to the word of God. God has revealed His word in the Bible, but if you don’t read it, you cannot expect to be able to discern the will of God.
Finally, just like Samuel, we must learn to lay down and listen to the voice of God. God understands how busy you are and that you have more on your plate than you can handle right now. However, when God is calling you, you better lay down, be still, and know that He is God. If you don’t, you may find that the people and the places and the activities that you used to enjoy have all of a sudden become burdensome and mundane. Why? Because if you don’t keep your soul refreshed with the presence and word of God, it will impact the rest of your life.
You have a God-sized hole in your life. You were created by God and for God that you may enjoy Him forever. If you don’t give your soul what it longs for by taking time to rest in the presence of God every day, you are starving yourself from the very source of love, peace, joy, and contentment. Even if it is just five minutes a day, we must give God the time that He deserves. Not because He needs it, but because we need it.
(The Solution Column is provided by Pastor Brandon Young of Harmony Free Will Baptist Church and his associate, Hunter Greene.)