The Question

Lessons from ST. Louis

While in STL I was asked the question, "How much time, in minutes, have you spent in the Word and prayer today?" OUCH! What kind of Pharisaical question is that? I don't judge myself on quantity of time with God like a worker punching the clock. I focus on quality - a fresh relationship with God. But I couldn't get away from the question.

So often I comfort myself with the fact that I spent some quality time with God. But most of the time that's just a cop out. I know that I've been negligent and so I fall back on the quality time excuse, something I'd never buy in any other relationship. My wife doesn't accept only a few quality minutes in our marriage. She rightly wants both quantity and quality. And it's the same with my kids. Any relationship that is truly meaningful rejects the "quality time" only claim.

And so I've begun asking myself "the question". Yes, I guess there is a chance I could become a pharisee and focus only on quantity but I don't see that becoming a problem anytime soon. For now I'm just going to try to carve out more time to spend with God.

By the way, "How much time in minutes have you spent in prayer and the Word today? This week?