Don't Ever Try To Compartmentalize God

Imagine me only talking to Danny on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 7-7:15 a.m. And maybe for an hour a couple of times a week. It's on the calendar, that's the time we'll hang out and talk about as much as we possibly can before we get back to whatever we were doing. We'll vent quick and keep moving.

Ridiculous, right? 

But that's often how we treat our relationship with God. We have a morning Bible study and prayer time, and we're at church on Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, and Wednesday nights. We read some books and listen to some podcasts. We check the boxes and do all the things. Beyond that, it's a little different.

When I'm at work, that's work time. It gets its own little silo.

When I'm at home, that's home time. Another silo.

When I'm at church, that's church time. A very special silo, but still a silo.

This way of thinking is exhausting. I know ... because I'm exhausted!

This isn't how God has called us to live in relationship with Him. I know that, and I think you do, too.

It's a flow and a rhythm and a relationship. He is here in this moment, and I can tap into that relationship for every situation I find myself in. My heart attitude keeps God in the forefront of my mind, helping me see Him moving in everything I do.

When I'm washing the dishes, it's not because it's some super-spiritual ritual that will bring me blessings or brownie points from my Lord. It's because I've already been blessed beyond measure by a loving God. It should be my joy to wash those dishes up and put them back in their place. (Click back to last week's post about Him being a God of order.) It is my reasonable service to wash those dishes out of gratitude, whisper a prayer, put on some good music, and wash those dishes.

Why is this important? Because it is so easy for my mind and heart to wander when I'm burdened and overwhelmed. If I save God for certain circumstances - compartmentalize Him for just church and Bible study times - I'm never going to build any kind of relationship with Him. It will always be stilted and siloed and uncomfortable. Says the voice of experience.

Every moment, every action, every thought can be wrapped around the Lord. Writing a blog post, getting ready for work in the morning, finding good deals at the grocery store - they're all situations that need the Lord, even if they seem mundane. The more we put Him at the center of the typical and the usual, the more Lord-focused we'll be in the more difficult moments.

As you go about your week, I pray that you'll get God out of the silo of your schedule and put Him front and center. Surrender your every action and thought to His will and watch as He changes lives through your life.

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