Don't try to fit God in your life, Fit your life around God

As I sat at my desk contemplating what I was going to write about this week, I realized that I was exhausted.

Every year, spring brings a crushing load of responsibilities that I have to deal with, and my poor mind and body usually start to rebel.

In my teaching career, I have to start preparing my students for the big spring parade which requires practicing marching up and down the streets of Moses Lake several times a day. This is on top of my regular classroom responsibilities.

The state of Washington gives me a teacher evaluation process that is time consuming and stressful but must be done every year if I want to keep my job.

I also have to have all my reports for my summer seminary classes emailed by June 1. Luckily, all 18 are already done.

Besides that, I have weekly sermons and newspaper articles to write while still cooking meals, doing laundry and loving my family.

When I actually made a list of my activities, I realized why I was tired and I had to stop and asked myself if all this activity was allowing enough time for God.

God is the reason I do what I do. He is my reason for serving others. Yes, I need the money that teaching brings in, but I also enjoy being an example of God’s love to students.

I must remember that my serving must never get in the way of my worship or fellowship with my Creator.

I must change the way I look at things. I need to stop thinking about fitting God into my life and start thinking about fitting my life around God.

God is the reason I am alive and have been so blessed on this earth. He makes time for me continually and, for that, I am eternally grateful.

In Matthew 6:33 it says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

This tells me that I must put God before everything else. My sermons and articles and parades will happen perfectly if I always put God above them.

I will have the energy and stamina to march, write, and teach if I don’t allow those things to dominate my thoughts and separate me from God.

Being human, I sometimes have to stop and remind myself of what my priorities should be. The good thing is that my Lord is very aware of how “human” I really am.

But God has helped imperfect people do great things in that past (look at King David) so he will help me do what He has asked me to do.

I have set aside time every night to pray and reconnect with my God. I hope that you have a plan for some one-on-one time with God.

It doesn’t have to be fancy but it does have to be quality time. Just put God first.