Monkish Thoughts

One of the most frustrating aspects of being a Pastor is the lack of confidence and time that people in the Church devote to God through the study of His Word. Every time someone comes into my office with a problem I have 2 basic questions that I ask them.

1. How much time do you pray every day?

2. How much time do you spend in God's Word each day?

I ask these questions because as a Christian I realize that without constant care of my spritiual life my world can crumble before me in just one short moment. There is no class that I ever had in my training to prompt me to ask those 2 important questions. Those questions are from years of experience of watching people in the Church trying to tackle everyday life without the guidance of God.

Many believe that only the Monks or Pastor's perhaps have the time or the drive to spend quality time with God each day. That is far from the truth. Before I went back to school to begin my training as a Pastor I was a delivery driver for a well known Food Distribution Company. I worked on an average of 65 hours per week. Even with feeling exhausted everyday I still carved out quality time with God because I knew that I can't make it through this life like I want to without the strength of the LORD working through me.

Psalm 119:93 in the NIV Bible says "I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life." Our spiritual lives hinge on prayer and Bible study. There are other facets to the Christian life of course, but without a steady diet of the Word and Prayer you will not get very far. I have seen people completely frustrated with their lives as a Pastor and just about every one of them gave little or no time to God. What is the saddest part of all is that these are the ones who call Jesus their Savior.

If you want to move forward with God then begin to think like a Monk. Get some type of routine for your time in the Word and in Prayer. Set a time if you have to and stick to it. God somewhere quiet and let God begin to speak to your heart and your life situations. If you get into a spiritual routine and give God a chance to move in your life as a Christian I can promise you that you will not remain the same.