Quarantine 2020 – Devotion
April 26, 2020 6PM Study

People have had to change the way they go about the simple things of life under the restrictions of the quarantine. It’s more than just wearing masks and planning shopping trips carefully – all services are taking much longer as extreme precautions are taken by businesses. Banks will only conduct drive-thru business, many government services are open only 1 day per week, or not at all, and places that are operating are doing so on a skeleton crew, all of which contribute to the amount of time it takes to do the most basic day to day things.

Another thing that has changed is how we spend our free time – and for many, they find themselves with more free time than they have had for quite a while, because we have had to cut out much of the activity that was a staple of our “busy” lives. So how are people spending their time? Facebook is a great indicator of this, but I found some studies about this very thing – here are the things that occupy America in Isolation:

Video games – increase in MMORPG subscription by 37%, 64% of in-game revenue for companies
TV Binge-watching – Netflix has had 39 million new subscribers in April alone
Puzzles – MasterPieces INC has had to increase workforce by double since December to meet demand
Homeschooling – every student, everywhere
Baking/Cooking
Practicing musical instruments – fender online reports 42% increase in lesson subscription
Gardening
Sleeping

There are a lot of ways to keep busy – some maybe a bit more constructive than others. So now comes the guilt – during normal times, the number 1 reason people give for not having an active prayer and devotional life is a lack of time. Now that we have time, how is your daily walk with your Savior?

I recently completed a seminary class called “Spiritual Formation.” The purpose of this class was to establish the importance of a personal spiritual life – especially for seminary students who were going to step into ministry as a vocation. As a pastor, it is way too easy to fall into the trap of believing that writing a sermon or a biblical exegesis paper feeds my need for a devotional life, when it absolutely does not. Academic study may help me to better acquaint myself with God’s Word, but my devotion should help me to grow closer to God Himself, allowing him into every part of my life.

Maintaining a healthy and active spiritual life is absolutely essential to maintain balance in the world in which we live. Thus, it becomes absolutely crucial to develop an intentional and measurable plan to maintain the personal spiritual connection with God on a daily basis, living a life of worship.

How do we do this? We are going to look at two things that will give us the tools we need to build a spiritual plan for ourselves going forward – and it’s basic: Where are we now, and where do we need to be?

So we begin with some self-examination. Self-examination is never an easy undertaking. No matter the reason for it or the approach taken, there is a natural human desire to report positively – even if you are only reporting to yourself. Knowing this, it is especially important to be objective in approach, as it is far too easy to stray to either side. While trying to avoid an overly positive assessment, we can just as easily slip into a posture of hopelessness and depression, viewing the mountain of establishing an effective devotional life as an obstacle for which we are not equipped to traverse. However, understanding the balance of God’s power in our lives and the ever-present need for God’s grace helps us to remember who we are in Him. We are at our best spiritually when our sin drives us to the cross, when we cling to it and nothing else. We must resist our “natural” inclination to think that we can handle our sin on our own, and renew our hold on the cross daily.

The best way to begin is to look at activities we will call “spiritual disciplines.” These are the things you do to feed your spiritual life – going to church, praying, reading your bible, etc. There are a lot of types of spiritual disciplines that we can employ, and what works for me may not necessarily be what works for you. However, as I only have my own spiritual life as a frame of reference, I am going to take you through the spiritual disciplines to which I am committed in the next section. But at this point, take a look at these activities in your life – are you doing any of these things faithfully?

To assess your current spiritual life, and to do so as you grow, I would invite you to ask a question posed by NT professor, author, and pastor Robert Mulholland: “If you want a good litmus test of your spiritual growth, simply examine the quality and nature of your relationships with others. Are you more loving, more compassionate, more patient, more understanding, more caring, more giving, more forgiving than you were a year ago?”

Once we have a good idea where we are spiritually, we can better understand where we want to be. The Bible does not lay out a cut a dry description of what it means to have a healthy spiritual life – this is the reason why we study the Word constantly and seek God’s guidance – spiritual health is not just an item we check off out list. However, there are specific activities in which we can engage that will help us along the way – and here are the things I have determined for my own life:

Prayer, Spiritual Reading and Devotion, Silence and Solitude, Service and Support

I can talk in depth about each of those, but I think most of you will understand where I am going with each. I want to make sure that my devotional life includes each of those disciplines, and so I create my plan around them. To do so, I will take each of those things and make some commitments to do certain things as a part of my devotional life. So here is the devotional plan I adopted 2 months ago, just before coming to Bevier:

Prayer

• I will spend a minimum of 15 minutes in silent prayer every morning before leaving my home or engaging in any activity outside of personal needs.
• I will dedicate a minimum 20 minutes every day before I go to bed to pray over itemized things – prayer lists, studies, and plans.
• I will not initiate any spiritual discipline without prayer first and foremost.
• I will pray out loud with my wife no less than 5 days per week, and with my children no less than 3 days per week as a course of day-to-day-activity outside of meal times.
• I will endeavor to maintain an open dialog with God throughout the day, praising Him and confiding in Him as the moment requires.

That 4^th one I have not been able to do, as we are not together, and we have not been able to do so over our basic daily phone calls. Soon, though.

Spiritual Reading and Devotion

• I will commit to reading no less than one section of the Bible each day. That section may be a chapter, a book, or a verse, all according to the leading of the spirit.
• I will commit to reading no less than one full section of the Bible per year, be that a testament, genre grouping, or inclusive narrative.
• I will practice spiritual reading – prayer and deep personal reflection on the Scripture – no less than 3 times per week outside of my pastoral studies.
• I will read no less than once per week from a devotional work which is not Scripture for my own personal edification and mature spiritual growth.
• I will read no less than once per week from a devotional work which is not scripture, along with Scripture, in community with my household for the edification of my family as their spiritual leader.

Silence/Solitude

• I will spend a minimum of 5 minutes every morning following my silent morning prayer time to sit, reflect, meditate, and listed for God.
• I will dedicate 30 minutes, twice a week, to silent reflection during my lunch hour as I walk outdoors and experience God’s creation.
• I will commit to schedule an intentional retreat in solitude for a minimum of 2 hours once per quarter-year for reflection, grounding, and direction.

Service/Support

• I will be continuously committed to one service ministry within the church which is not included within my job requirements.
• I will meet, shake hands, and speak with all neighbors within my block. I will commit to maintaining relations by engaging with them at least once per month as able.

Your plan need not be as detailed or lengthy. Understand that my effectiveness as a Pastor depends very much on my personal relationship with God, and it is somewhat within my job description to commit to such a robust spiritual life. Maybe your plan is to start by praying 10 minutes a day – and if it is, then praise God! The fact of the matter is that we have time now – start. Whatever that means, start. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by. If you would like help creating a plan, I am more than happy to talk with you and help in any way I can.

Now is the time to reconnect with your Savior. He is waiting and ready.