“And off the servants went, and they carried the king’s message to the errant guests—who still paid not a whit of attention. One guest headed into his field to work; another sat at his desk to attend to his accounts.” (Matthew 22:5 VOICE)
Time is my love language. I give time and undivided attention to those I love. When others make time for me, I feel cherished. The opposite is also true. I am hesitant to carve out time or pay attention if I don’t care about a person. When someone does not take the time to communicate with me consistently and honestly, the relationship seems mediocre. I connect with others during private conversations. Diversionary activities, by their nature, diminish our ability to focus on one another. Thus, I prefer a sincere, written message over smalltalk at a large gathering.
Knowing my love language--how I express and receive love through time and attentiveness--is enlightening on many fronts. Lately, I have noticed that I spend less time in private conversation with God. Instead, I go through the motions: I read Scripture daily, go through several devotionals, write about spiritual things, listen to worship music, and watch online church services. These diversionary activities make me feel adequately pious without demanding boredom or unproductivity. I am like the errant guests that Jesus described in His parable. The King of Kings invites me to connect with Him, but I’m preoccupied by all the things I want to do and the places I want to go.
Lord, forgive me. Change my errant ways. Help me prioritize alone time with You over all other diversions. Teach me to be attentive in Your presence.
No comments:
Post a Comment