Create Space for God to Work in Your Life
I believe God is calling us to a renewed commitment to creating space for him in our daily lives.
As we know, life gets busy.
If you’re anything like me, my schedule can be overwhelmingly hectic — where every minute of the day seems accounted for, and I still feel like I don’t have enough time. On the other hand, I’ve experienced those moments where too much of the same monotonous tasks day in and day out can lead to boredom.
Time is the only limited resource. We will not be judged by how much time we save but by what we do with the time allotted. Learning to manage our time well starts with a prayer that the psalmist gave us:
“Teach us, O Lord, to number our days so that we may grow in wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
Here are ten ways to create space for God that will affect how we manage our time.
1) Create space to rest.
Learning the rhythms of rest is a decision to trust God’s provision and follow his instructions to receive the gift of rest.
Hebrews 4:6 says, “So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God.”
2) Create space to heal.
The Lord is our healer. He gave us his Word to heal, forgive, and set us free.
“Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases” (Psalm 103:2-3).
If you need healing in your body or mind, reflect on and believe in God’s Word that gives this promise.
3) Create space to help.
The parable of the three bags in Matthew 25 directs us to use what we have to help others. Helping others takes time and effort.
4) Create space to care.
There are over 2,000 verses in the Bible that specifically relate to caring for the poor. Jesus taught us to care for the sick, feed the hungry, give clothes to those who don’t have any, show hospitality to strangers, and visit prisoners.
In other words, show love to others the way Christ loved us.
5) Create space to dream.
For some, it may be time to dream again. Ask God to renew and revive his purpose for your life.
Remember, God has created you on purpose for a purpose.
You are God’s masterpiece, created anew in Christ Jesus to do good works (Ephesians 2:10).
6) Create space to listen.
God wants to speak to you through his Word and by his Spirit. For me, that tests my listening ability. One of the ways I’ve grown in listening is to journal while I’m reading scripture.
May we have ears to hear and understand what the Spirit is saying.
7) Create space to gather.
Gathering together takes effort and requires time, but it gives us an opportunity to encourage others who also desire to follow Jesus.
“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
8) Create space to give.
Creating space in our finances allows us to discern how to financially support the kingdom of God.
The Apostle Paul taught us to “give in proportion to what we have” (2 Cor. 8:11).
When you bring your tithes and offerings to Worship Center, it allows us to be a church committed to bringing the good news of Jesus and helping many people here in Lancaster, Pa, and all around the world.
9) Create space to worship and pray.
When we worship, we communicate with God and know him more deeply.
Psalm 100 explains that worship is a gateway to knowing him: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise.”
10) Create space to read the written Word.
A commitment to daily reading of God’s Word is, in my opinion, the essential spiritual practice that every other practice is built on. When you read the written Word of God, you create a space for him to speak to you.
Stay anchored and rooted in God’s Word.
Attempting to create space in every area of your life this week may be unrealistic. Instead, take a moment to ask the Holy Spirit what step you could take and choose the one that would significantly impact your spiritual life.
See what God will do in you and through you.