Drifting From Jesus

When Jesus goes from being your main thang to your side piece…

 Yea, it’s kind of weird to say but it’s been my truth for the last couple of months. He went from being the first thing on my mind when I woke up, to the last conversation at bedtime, and a constant thought throughout the day. To only thinking about him when I needed something. Quick prayers of peace when anxiety began to fill my mind. Brief conversations in the car, when I couldn’t find anything good on the radio. An afterthought, as I drifted off to sleep at night. 

 I slowly replaced the intimacy of my relationship with Christ, with the busyness of my day. Burying him under to-do lists, deadlines, online shopping, social media, and placing him second to my kids and marriage. With so much focus surrounding the accomplishment of my goals, I began to minimize the entity at the core of its purpose. Those gentle whispers I once heard throughout my day, were slowly silenced. Not because he stopped speaking, but because I was too busy to listen. 

It happens. Most times without us even realizing it. We wake up late, feeling the need to skip our morning devotion. We then rush through our day with the goal of getting through our never-ending to-do list. Once we’re home, we pour into our families, fighting to maintain the nightly routine of our home. Leaving God with a few minutes to spare as we drift off to sleep…right in the middle of your conversation with Him. 

It happens to me more than I am willing to admit too. What pulls me back in, is the absence of His peace in my day-to-day hustle. Regardless of how I start my day, there are things that still have to get done. The to-do list is long, work is complicated, and raising a family (and a husband) can be difficult. However, there is peace found in those quiet times with God that allows me to move through the busyness of my day with comfort in knowing he’s beside me. Watching over me and my loved ones while we are apart from each other. There’s peace found in the clarity He provides as I make decisions on behalf of myself and others, the clarity in my daily purpose, and the things needing to be done to move in that purpose. There’s peace found in the confidence He provides as I walk the narrow path He clears for me on a daily basis. Not having that make my days long and difficult. Filling them with unnecessary anxiety and frustration. 

Whenever I see myself drifting away, I know it’s time to reprioritize and take a serious assessment of what’s going on in my life that’s pushing Jesus out of it.

What’s causing me to oversleep? 

Why is my mind so preoccupied with work? 

Is my evening routine too much? 

Assessing the things going on in my life allows me to see the flaws. Once they’re identified, I write down a plan to eliminate them. Whether it’s going to bed earlier. Using my Do Not Disturb settings on my phone during prayer time. Setting time restrictions on my social media apps. Making a dinner schedule, or outsourcing things that take up too much of my time. Whatever the plan may be, I write it down and pray for clarity. I ask God to allow me to move through my day with an intentional spirit. Understanding that every action I take will affect the next …

Oversleeping = no morning devotional = lack of peace = rushing = feeling behind all day = working late = staying up late = oversleeping again= a cycle that never ends.

I find ways & people to hold me accountable to my plan. For me, I ask my husband to assist in enforcing my ‘no social media’ time and reminding me when it’s time to turn off my work computer for the night. 

Recognizing & acknowledging the drift, allows you to accept His spiritual intervention. Allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you as you realign and reprioritize your day-to-day movements. Continuously seeking God for clarity and an intentional spirit will allow you to walk in success, keeping Jesus as the focal point of your day. 

I’m so thankful God doesn’t treat us like we treat him. I’m thankful that his mercy, forgiveness, and protection aren’t based upon our faithfulness to Him. I’m thankful for an understanding God, one who doesn’t fault us for being human. Instead, He waits for our return with open arms. 

I found my way back into my prayer closet. I make sure it’s the first place I go when I open my eyes and the last place I see before I close them. Whether I realized it at the time or not, those quiet moments with him provided me with the comfort, confidence, and clarity I needed to get through my day.

I never realized the strength I received from those moments of peace until I voluntarily went without it.