Many of us met through Zoom last night. It was great seeing your faces and hearing your voices! For those not able to attend – or those wanting a recap, here’s a summary of the lesson we covered.
Before the pandemic, think about the things you wanted to do but didn’t because you didn’t have time. Maybe you wanted to spend more time with your little brother / sister because you realize you’ll be heading off to college in a few years, maybe you wanted to exercise more, spend more time practicing an instrument you enjoy playing. And what about your spiritual goals – did you want to spend more time reading the Bible, praying, meditating on Scripture, spending time with God?
Now that time isn’t the limiting factor, are you doing those things? Some but not all?
If not, why not? Now that you realize time wasn’t the real issue – the limiting factor, what is? Let’s focus on your spiritual goals. If the additional time you’ve been given hasn’t resulted in you spending more time with God like you said you wanted to, then what’s really holding you back?
Is God not the priority you thought He was in your life? Do you have doubts about God’s existence – so why waste time talking to someone who may not exist? Are you afraid of spending more time with Him – afraid of what He’ll reveal or ask? Do you not know where to start? Are you angry at God and are giving Him the silent treatment right now? Are you not sure if you can trust Him with the real you? Are you ashamed to approach Him?
I don’t know what your limiting factor is that’s keeping you from spending more time with God, but I know for now, its not time. So with that excuse gone – its a perfect time to struggle with questions like I posed above. You should struggle with it, it’s a healthy and holy pursuit – but don’t struggle alone. Start by asking God for help, something like “God I want to spend more time with you, but for some reason I’m not motivated to – please help me figure out why and help me get rid of whatever the barrier is. I love you but I’m not willing to invest more into our relationship – that’s hard for me to tell you, and I know it’s not healthy. Please help me fix this.”
You also have other sources of help as you engage in this valuable struggle – your family, friends, other Youthers, Jen and I. I’ve gained a deep appreciation within the past few years of helping people with struggles. I’ve realized what an honor it is when someone allows you to share their struggle. You don’t burden people by asking for help, you show you value them and what they can offer you.
Throughout the Bible God built in times of pausing – a Sabbath day each week, Noah and others being stuck on an ark for about a year, Israel’s 40 years in wilderness, Jesus’ 40 days in wilderness – and these are just a few examples. These pauses were provided for preparation, for change – they were provided for the benefit of those being paused.
Ask God to reveal what you are being prepared for during this pause, what changes you should be working on. I’ve heard it said that it takes at least 21 days to start a new habit. Guess what, you’ve got at least that long to start some new habits before your life returns to its normal routine. This is an exciting and generous time of pausing that God has given us, please don’t waste all your extra time on your phone or Netflix.
God is offering you a gift. The Creator of everything wants to create something with you during this time. God has given you time, but He leaves the choice of how to spend it up to you.
Please Note: I certainly don’t mean to minimize the impact of this pandemic. The virus is far from a “gift” for those who are out of work, ill, or for the families of those who have / will die from this. This message is targeted to a small group of teens – their impact from the virus, until now at least, has primarily been limited to social distancing. I believe we can simultaneously despise the virus and look for the benefits its presence can have (kind of a hate the sin but love the sinner concept).
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