Originally published Friday, 03 October 2014.
Dear morning people,
I love you. I really do. Please don't be mad at me for this post.
Love, Me.
My alarm clock goes off at 5:30 am. I jump out of bed, get myself ready for work, get two kids ready for school, fix breakfasts, fill water bottles, pack lunches (if they aren't already ready), and run out the door a little after 7:00 am.
For a while, I thought it would be really GREAT if I got up at 5:00 am and read my Bible first thing in the morning. I know lots of people do that, and it sounded like a wonderful plan.
However, I tried it, and I hated it.
I'm sorry. I just did.
( How terrible did that just sound? Hi, I'm Melanie, a Christian blogger, and I hate to read my Bible in the morning. {{ cringe }} So sorry, just being honest. )
Here's the thing, I'm just not a morning person and when I read the Bible at 5 am, I just scanned words on a page to get it done. I didn't take my time. I didn't absorb any deep truths. I just eye-balled the clock the whole time because I knew I still needed to do all of the things I mentioned above before 7 am.
It's absolutely wonderful if you enjoy starting your day with a morning devotional. However, I think we sometimes heap guilt on ourselves if morning isn't our favorite time to read... but instead of guilt, I think we should embrace grace.
God created us to have relationship with Him. When can you best focus on building that relationship? If you are a morning person and are able to focus most in the morning, you should definitely read first thing. If you are a night owl, maybe reading at night is the best time for you to really soak up every word God has for you. If you are like me, something in the middle might work best.
I'll share what I normally do in hopes that maybe it will help you too.
After I get my kids in bed, I don't camp out in front of the TV. Most nights after my kids are in bed, this is my prime time to be alone with God. On the weekends, I'll read my Bible in the afternoon while my kids nap. If your kids don't nap, then you might have to get a little creative with time (and we'll talk about that later this month, too!).
I LOVE reading the Bible when I can be alone without interruptions, be alert to actually THINK about what I'm reading, and enjoy my time. I don't spend a huge amount of time (and we'll talk about that later too!), but all of us can block out 15 minutes of uninterrupted time, right?
The point is, examine your life and find a time when you can get alone with God. We're all different, and so are our schedules. You don't need to fit into any mold with the time of day that you read your Bible. If you're not enjoying it when you do it, take some time to examine whether you could read at a different time that would work better for you!
Reflection:
When are you most able to focus on God? Are you most alert first thing in the morning when the house is quiet? Do you enjoy reading after the kids are in bed? Take some time to reflect on your daily life and how you can carve out some time to be in God's Word -- you'll be so glad you did!!
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