Devotions and To-Do Lists

"Devotions aren't something to mark off a to-do list."

I can't remember when I first heard that, but it's stuck with me for a long time. The intended meaning is that you shouldn't rush through devotions to get through the next thing, but should rather spend time on it and put in effort.

What made it into my head though was the literal meaning. I've had the subconscious thought for a long time that if I write down the word "devotions" on a to-do list, it doesn't count. If I actually do them and mark it off, it's even worse.

For the past few days, I haven't wanted to read my Bible and so I just didn't. I of course felt guilty about it and, one day, wrote devotions on my to-do list. I tried to ignore the nagging feeling that it was wrong and told myself that it was the only way that I was actually going to do devotions that day.

That's when I realized that the guilt I felt is ridiculous.

The idea behind saying devotions aren't for a to-do list is a good one. We, as believers, need to invest in our relationships with God just like we would other people. We need to spend time in His Word and in prayer on a daily basis in a deeper way than we would spend time on the dishes. The Psalmist tells us that the righteous man spends a lot of time in the Bible.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1:2

But sometimes we just don't want to. We're busy or in a bad mood or don't feel like it or any number of other things. It's so easy to just shrug our shoulders and miss it for one more day.

It's only this last school year that I've been able to make a consistent habit of doing devotions. The key word there is "habit." Habits take effort to form. If you wanted to form the habit of running, you'd have to make yourself run regularly, even when you didn't want to. Day after day, you'd lace up your shoes to log some miles.

Devotions require the exact same thing. It's not different because it relates to God. It should be a normal part of our lives and we have to work to make it that way. Sometimes running makes it onto the to-do list and sometimes it is enjoyed.

The long term benefits come from investing when it's hard and when it's not. If you want to run a marathon, you have to do those long runs that make you want to die. But they make race day easier. If you want to be grounded in God's Word, you have to spend time in it when there are a million things you'd rather be doing.

So go ahead. Write devotions on your to-do list if that's what it takes to get it done. Enjoying it is a benefit that comes with time. Even now, when I generally like doing my devotions in the morning, there are still days that I dread the time and have to make myself do it.

The rewards will come, but the foundation must be laid.

-Kira