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Time with Jesus is more than a checked box.
We’ve all been there: an activity every evening, homework to get through with the kids, doctor appointments that slip your mind—until the reminder text comes through the night before. Our lives are busy. Insert the never-ending to-do list. You gather your colored pens to make the most organized and neat to-do list, only to scribble and put off tasks as other events sneak their way into your week and overwhelm you. Then the Sunday sermon beckons you to read your Bible and pray more, and with ease, you put that on the top of your list (because you’re a super Christian) to check that item off and feel proud. But time with Jesus is more than a checked box. He wants a relationship, not a ritual.
Presence over Productivity:
Learn from Martha: don’t get so caught up in doing things for Jesus that you miss simply being at His feet. Mary prioritized a deep relationship with God instead of getting distracted by the busyness of everyday life. In Luke 10: 38-42, He tells Martha that “one thing is necessary.” Jesus doesn’t measure our spiritual worth by how much we get done for Him, but by how close we draw to Him.
Participation over Performance:
In John 15:4, Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you.” Abiding is a continuous act, not an event that gets checked off. In verse 5, he continues with an analogy of the vine. A branch isn’t connected once a day but all day, every day. He teaches us to seek His presence and follow His teachings actively. The world may look to see what we have accomplished, but when we abide in Christ, we will produce fruit that reflects his teachings.
Prayer over Planning:
Jesus made prayer a top priority. Mark 1:35 emphasizes the importance of dedicated time alone with God through prayer. We are busy, but Jesus was also busy ministering. He didn’t carve out a plan on scrolls with checkboxes; he prayed. He was sustaining his relationship with God.
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