Have you ever felt guilty about how or when you spend time with God? Have you found yourself frustrated because you aren’t a morning person but it seems “everyone else” does their devotional time early in the morning and you just can’t seem to focus then? Have you ever compared your relationship with Him to someone else’s, assuming that their way is the “right” way and that you must be doing something wrong because your relationship with Him looks different?
I want to tell you a secret. There is no right way to have a relationship with God. Your relationship with Him is supposed to be personal and unique. He doesn’t care if you read your Bible in the morning, the afternoon, or at night. He doesn’t care if you worship in your car on your way to work rather than in your house for hours. He’s not concerned that your prayer closet is your neighborhood as you take a walk. In fact, He’s thrilled to be with you, to have your attention in all those places.
I used to feel bad because there were days I could get up and enjoy a cup of tea, time in the Word, reading my devotional, prayer, and worship before getting ready for work and then something changed and mornings didn’t work for me that way anymore. I started praying while I was in bed, just talking to God, but reading that early didn’t work, so I listened to the Word while I got ready for work and read my devotional on my lunch break. I worshipped and prayed in my car going to and from work and even while I was enjoying His presence, I was thinking about what a horrible Christian I was because I didn’t get it all done in the morning when I figured all “good” Christians spent time with God. I felt bad because I wasn’t giving God 100% of my attention since I was driving or walking or getting ready for my day.
Then I asked God what He thought about it.
“I love being part of your whole day. I don’t need to be relegated to an hour at a certain time of day. I’m with you always. Yes, I love the times we bask in one another’s love and presence, but we can do that all day long. I love that you invite me into your workday, into your exercise routine, into your commute. I love talking to you as you drive and receiving your worship when you randomly break out in song to Me. There is no right or wrong way to love Me. There is just loving Me. You are unique. I made you different, of course, our relationship will look different than other people’s. Of course, your journey and walk with me will be different. It’s supposed to be. And I enjoy everything about it. Stop comparing and just love Me and let Me love you. Let our love relationship be the special, unique, one-of-a-kind love story that it is and let others have the same.”
Wow!
I’m supposed to have a one-of-a-kind journey and love story with God. It’s supposed to look different than yours. How I love Him. How I worship Him. How I read and understand the Word. How I walk with Him and hear Him and obey Him. It’s meant to be different. And He loves that because it’s His design.
I want to encourage you. Stop looking around and trying to mimic the relationship you think others have with God. Find a rhythm of your own with Him. Let your way of loving Him shine through and you will find that a personal relationship with Him is so much easier, lighter, and more joyful than you ever imagined possible.
The world needs to see that there is no one way to follow God. The only requirement is accepting Christ and walking with Him. But the walking with Him part, that is uniquely ours and there is no right or wrong journey to falling in love with Him and building that relationship.
I encourage you to step out of comparison and fear and shame and guilt; and step into the freedom of loving from the beauty of your own heart, a heart created by the One Who is Love.
