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Think of the first thing you do in the morning when you wake up.

For me, my hand scatters to find my phone on my nightstand. I stop (read: snooze) my alarm for the third time and instantly check my notifications. My feet haven’t even hit the ground yet and I’m scrolling through my social media feeds.

Then when I do actually get out of bed, I rush to get ready and start handling business as usual. As I rush out the door, it hits me, “I’m up to speed on the latest Kimye gossip, but haven’t heard from God… Oh well, I’ll get to it later.” I suddenly remember that I haven’t spent time with God. I feel guilty. I push it off until later. I just don’t do it. Before I know it, one day turns into seven, and the only times I find my bible open is on Sundays.

Am I the only one guilty of this behavior?

Years ago, my Pastor said a phrase that echoes in my mind to this day, “Make sure you let the WORD in before you let the WORLD in.” While no one would disagree with this sentiment, how do we actually make this happen? How can I make time with God in my daily routine when I have so many other everyday distractions and responsibilities?

[bctt tweet=”Make sure you let the WORD in before you let the WORLD in.” username=”p4cm”]

The Bible says  “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21, NIV). If you want to see where a person’s heart is, look at their bank statement and you will see what they treasure. In the same way, if you want to see a where person’s heart is, look at how they spend their time.

We spend time on the things we care about most.

Time is a currency. You can’t make more time in a day, you spend time. We schedule time for our priorities.

There are many ways to keep God in your daily routine. As a twenty-something Christian wife and slay-at-home mom (yes, you read that right, I slay), here are five ways I’ve found that work well:

1. Don’t beat yourself up. God still loves you even if you didn’t talk to Him today or read the Bible. He’s a loving Father who simply wants time with us because He has a plan and purpose for our lives. For us to fulfill God’s plans for us, spending time in His Word and learning how to hear Him are crucial.
2. Schedule time with God. What gets on my schedule, gets done; hair appointments, girls nights, dates with my husband, writing. If it’s important to you, schedule time with God. Then, be a person of your word and actually do it.
3. Don’t limit yourself. Spending time with God isn’t limited to the Instagram-perfect photo of an open Bible and journal, next to a latte in an artsy sunlit cafe. Although the aforementioned scenario is nice, God wants to spend time with us anytime, anywhere. Make it practical. Don’t wait for the perfect setup. How long is your drive to work? Listen to a Christian podcast or some worship music on your commute. Pray while you’re running or cleaning. Write down all He’s done for you and thank Him for it all. Read a Proverb a day. Find a Bible reading plan that interests you.
4. Spend 10 minutes or spend an hour. It’s a relationship. Some days you’ll spend more than others, and that’s okay. Make sure with the time you do spend, give God your undivided attention.

5. Give friends permission to ask about your time with God. It’s easy for me to make excuses when my commitments aren’t spoken aloud. I don’t make as many excuses when my friends ask me about my time with God. I find a significant correlation between how I act when I spend time with God and when I do not. So, when I give my friends permission to ask, they often already know the answer based on my actions. Let people check in on you and be honest (Proverbs 27:17).

I don’t always get it right with keeping God in my everyday, but I’m doing my best. I believe that with any relationship, the more time we spend with a person, the more like them we will become. Lord knows I need to be more like Jesus.

Tomorrow morning when I wake up, I commit that my actions will follow the phrase “Make sure you let the WORD in before you let the WORLD in.”

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Christina Wilkins

Christina is a writer at P4CM. She has spent the last 10 years in church leadership and keeps it real about relationships, faith, and identity. She and her husband Tim reside in Southern California with their beautiful 1-year old son. To read more from Christina, click her name above to read her blog.

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