by Desiree Bustamante

Are you making time and space for what is most valuable?

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

The abundance of our country makes it possible to collect too much and overbook our lives. Sure, some cultivate a minimalist lifestyle but, compared to most of the world, we have access to far more choices in life. From canned soup to career choices, from the church we attend to our children’s many activity options, they all take up time and space in our minds and hearts.

So, we must make choices. There’s only limited time for what we most value. What do we fill our space with? What do we part with to make room for what’s most important?

We all struggle with this at times. As followers of Jesus, we want to prioritize our life around Him but so much stuff gets in the way. And while time with family and friends, volunteer work or helping others aren’t bad in themselves, where does God want YOU to focus?

“But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.”
Luke 5:16 New Living Translation

When we look at Jesus’ life, even though He was engaged doing His father’s work, He always put spending time with His Father first. He healed the sick, taught Scripture to huge crowds and shared fellowship with His disciples. Everyone pursued Jesus for more of His time and miracles. Yet when He grew tired, He would deliberately choose to retreat to a quiet place and rest, treasuring time with His Father in Heaven. Staying close to God brought clarity of purpose and renewal of body and spirit.

Examine your priorities against how Jesus filled the space of His life. His choices were intentional, full of purpose and soul-nurturing. Jesus made space for what he knew God desired—life-giving time alone with Him. God has infinite time for you. He longs to spend time with you each day. Clean out your space of those things that take precedence over the God who loved you so much that He redeemed you through His Son.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado