Alone with God

Soren Kierkegaard writes that being "alone with God's word is a dangerous matter." He says that it is dangerous because the words of Scripture place a demand upon us; call for a response. Most of the time, Kierkegaard believes, we prefer anything other than being nakedly alone with God and God's word.

I believe this is true because I see it in myself. Scripture, unfiltered, can be like that proverbial pea under hundreds of mattresses that won't allow us to be comfortable, and we all like to sleep. But who ever said a good nights sleep was part of the deal when we signed up to follow Christ?

In addition to the unwanted demands, I believe we avoid this solo time with God and God's word for another reason: apathy. Unarguably, spending time with God is the best thing I can do each day; taking time to become aware of God's presence and the reality that God IS, has so many benefits. When I take this time I find that I am less selfish and more giving; I worry less and I trust more; my speech and my actions are characterized by humility rather than pride; I am more likely to see Christ in the other person.

The question: Why do I ever skip this time?
The answer: It seems like a waste of time.
I've got kids to take care of, I've got projects to be completed, I've got a schedule to keep...spending time with God appears useless. I'm convinced this is because I allow the world to project its values upon me. The world says: "time is money" and "watch the bottom line." The world asks: "how are the numbers?" and "what results are you achieving?" It's all to easy to get sucked into this thinking and conclude that something as seemingly abstract as spending time with a Being who cannot be perceived is expendable.

But God says: "be still and know." And Christ asks: "who do you say that I am?" Countercultural thinking and existential questioning that, to me, are the key to really living. It's not a waste of time. It's demanding and it's pure and it hurts and it's holy.

There is nothing more significant I can do each day.