Have you ever felt condemned regarding your Christian walk because someone stated, “Whatever you spend the most time doing is what you love the most”?

The person who believes that one’s devotion to God can be measured in minutes and hours has never been a new mom of twins who spends all day changing diapers, or a factory worker who packages light bulbs for nine hours each day.

If they are faithful believers, both the new mom and the factory worker will tell you that their lives are empowered and influenced by God, not by diapers or light bulbs.

The person who happens to be in a relaxed season of life, with large blocks of time to devote to meditation and study, is truly blessed. But herein lies the problem with hounding others about spending a certain amount of time in strictly religious pursuits: it perpetuates the false belief that time determines what has most influence in our lives.

The fact that someone spends a great deal of time studying the Word or writing sermons doesn’t mean he is spiritually advanced. In fact, he might be quite the opposite.

Are you facing criticism or needless guilt because your prayer times aren’t nearly as frequent as you’d like them to be? Remember that God broods over you daily, and you can be in “a secret place” with Him even when you’re busy or in a crowd.

Today, begin learning to abide in Him minute by minute, and He’ll continue to reign supreme regarding your decisions, actions, thoughts, and words.

“If you continue in My word, you really are My disciples” (John 8:31).