[Part 1] Finding God & Keeping Him in College || Importance of Quiet Time
The next 3 weeks I'm going to be doing a series called "Finding God and Keeping Him in College." Each week I want to explore a different aspect of this concept. Though, this is a personal choice and journey [one you will have to work at], I want to share my story and my friends' stories [of success and failure] to encourage you to find God and keep Him this school year. I will give you a lot of resources on the "Resources" page (see end of blog for details) over the next three weeks!
This week I want to set a foundation for finding and keeping God in college (and in life in general). This foundation is the base in almost every Christian blog I have read - spending quiet time with God. I can already hear the groans of the "duty" of spending time with Him or "having" to read the Bible daily. Let's face it, we all struggle with this. Even if I seem to have a routine, some days I just don't get a chance to spend an hour with God (as terrible as it sounds). In October, I will be sharing a blog about how I do my quiet time, but today let's just stick to why it is important and some tips to help you tackle the issue.
Quiet Time is a time of personal growth. Though fellowship and discipleship is important, they are nothing if we do not have a daily personal relationship with the Lord.
1.) Finding Time and a Place
I read once that you should make an appointment with yourself daily to spend time with God. I know for me it takes a solid hour because I need to look up everything for it to make sense. Book yourself time that is longer than you need too! I know my senior year I held two presidencies and was on the executive board for another organization, had a part-time job, and was a full-time student - finding time was hard! I was also very social, so quiet time was hard to come by. But what is all of that stuff in comparison to God? God desires that time with you! So get up early, take a longer lunch, or create a study break.
As I said before, I was all over campus. It was hard to sit in the cafe or terrace without someone shouting, "Hey BFry!" and throwing my whole quiet time game off track. I had to fail at this for 3.5 years before I found the perfect place for quiet time. I would often get up before my roommate so I didn't have her as a distraction, but some days that just wasn't possible. I discovered this quiet place on Rutgers-Newark campus, but more times or not I'd pack up my stuff and go to the library. The library makes it hard for your friends to distract you, and if you have headphones in they might just walk right by you and think you are hard at work. It is trial and error, but don't let the "errors" get you off track.
2.) Staying Distraction Free
My senior year I was overly involved on campus in addition to my internship and school work. I was constantly on my phone, iPad, or laptop checking emails or I had a lot running through my brain. Turn off the phone! I started by turning my ringer off and then finally I resorted to turning my electronics off completely and keeping them in my backpack. It made it harder for me to check my email or texts (because I would have to dig for them and turn them back on). Thirty minutes to an hour without contact is so little compared to the 23 other hours people can talk to you. That hour is God's time.
I also found it hard to be focused with all the thoughts running through my head. I would spend 5 minutes before I started writing down everything I could think I needed to do. Then I would leave that little piece of paper near me, just in case something else came up. I could just scribble it down and then refocus really quickly. If I found myself writing more than praying, I took the paper away from myself. I found it was all about balancing . I still keep a list near me just in case, but I'm finding I'm using it less and less.
3.) What Now?
Francis Chan in his book Crazy Love makes the analogy that if you are a couch potato and you decide to go out a run, you don't expect to just be able to do it. You have to work at it. Quiet Time [intimacy] with God is no different. You have to find what works for you. Like I said before, later this year I plan on sharing what I do, but at the end of the day you have to "do you."
For starters, find a devotional you like. I'm very particular about my devotions, so this was hard for me. I started by downloading the Bible App and picking a plan and set the reminders. She Reads Truth (for women) is also an amazing App or online blog you could download or check out. But there are a lot of online sources. Or go pick up a book (this is what I have to do). Find something that interests you, that will set you on fire for Him.
A few other tips: pray, pray pray. My prayer life is a mess (more to come in a later blog), but don't be afraid to talk to God. Carry a prayer notecard or have a list of requests in your room. Pray not just about life, but pray about this journey of quiet time too!
Quiet Time is a time of personal growth. Though fellowship and discipleship is important, they are nothing if we do not have a daily personal relationship with the Lord.
1.) Finding Time and a Place
I read once that you should make an appointment with yourself daily to spend time with God. I know for me it takes a solid hour because I need to look up everything for it to make sense. Book yourself time that is longer than you need too! I know my senior year I held two presidencies and was on the executive board for another organization, had a part-time job, and was a full-time student - finding time was hard! I was also very social, so quiet time was hard to come by. But what is all of that stuff in comparison to God? God desires that time with you! So get up early, take a longer lunch, or create a study break.
As I said before, I was all over campus. It was hard to sit in the cafe or terrace without someone shouting, "Hey BFry!" and throwing my whole quiet time game off track. I had to fail at this for 3.5 years before I found the perfect place for quiet time. I would often get up before my roommate so I didn't have her as a distraction, but some days that just wasn't possible. I discovered this quiet place on Rutgers-Newark campus, but more times or not I'd pack up my stuff and go to the library. The library makes it hard for your friends to distract you, and if you have headphones in they might just walk right by you and think you are hard at work. It is trial and error, but don't let the "errors" get you off track.
2.) Staying Distraction Free
My senior year I was overly involved on campus in addition to my internship and school work. I was constantly on my phone, iPad, or laptop checking emails or I had a lot running through my brain. Turn off the phone! I started by turning my ringer off and then finally I resorted to turning my electronics off completely and keeping them in my backpack. It made it harder for me to check my email or texts (because I would have to dig for them and turn them back on). Thirty minutes to an hour without contact is so little compared to the 23 other hours people can talk to you. That hour is God's time.
I also found it hard to be focused with all the thoughts running through my head. I would spend 5 minutes before I started writing down everything I could think I needed to do. Then I would leave that little piece of paper near me, just in case something else came up. I could just scribble it down and then refocus really quickly. If I found myself writing more than praying, I took the paper away from myself. I found it was all about balancing . I still keep a list near me just in case, but I'm finding I'm using it less and less.
3.) What Now?
Francis Chan in his book Crazy Love makes the analogy that if you are a couch potato and you decide to go out a run, you don't expect to just be able to do it. You have to work at it. Quiet Time [intimacy] with God is no different. You have to find what works for you. Like I said before, later this year I plan on sharing what I do, but at the end of the day you have to "do you."
For starters, find a devotional you like. I'm very particular about my devotions, so this was hard for me. I started by downloading the Bible App and picking a plan and set the reminders. She Reads Truth (for women) is also an amazing App or online blog you could download or check out. But there are a lot of online sources. Or go pick up a book (this is what I have to do). Find something that interests you, that will set you on fire for Him.
A few other tips: pray, pray pray. My prayer life is a mess (more to come in a later blog), but don't be afraid to talk to God. Carry a prayer notecard or have a list of requests in your room. Pray not just about life, but pray about this journey of quiet time too!
To learn more about Crazy Love and other quiet time resources please check out the "Resources" page.
