D.L. Moody once said, “When a man is filled with the Word of God you cannot keep him still. If a man has got the Word, he must speak or die.” This is the kind of man I want to be. Can you imagine being so filled with the Word of God it was impossible to keep silent? Isn’t this the type of person every Christ-follower should aspire to be?
Until we are so obsessed with Jesus everything else ceases to matter, I do not think we have yet discovered the abundant life Christ promised to those who follow Him (John 10:10). What holds us back from such a deep desire and longing for God’s Word? I can answer from my own experience, and perhaps you will relate…
I used to think I’d study God’s Word more if I had more time. I imagined if I had no other commitments, my life would be spent in prayer, fasting, and reading the Bible. Here’s what I’ve discovered is wrong with such thinking: First, if you aren’t purposefully making time for God in your life right now, you won’t do it if you have more time either. The habits we form in the tough times are the ones that will blossom when we gain a little more margin in our lives. Being intentional about the study of God’s Word is something you must choose to do, and it has nothing to do with how much free time you perceive yourself to have. It will either be a priority in your life, or it won’t.
The second thing wrong with thinking you’ll make time for God once you have more time yourself, is it reveals our priorities are messed up. We have the time to study and pray now, regardless of our circumstances. Of course, we’d have to give up some of our selfish pursuits to redeem the time. We might even have to do things that are irresponsible in the eyes of our culture. Climbing the corporate ladder or turning down the regular happy hour may need to be put aside so you can have time to spend on what is true and important. I submit the most reckless and irresponsible thing we can do is to not have time to spend quality time in God’s presence.
This goes beyond simple time management. You will become that on which you focus. If you focus on success, you’ll more than likely find some modicum of success. If you focus on entertainment you will find yourself basking in the things this world has to offer. And if you focus on God, you will find yourself becoming like Him. You will not be able to keep still. Nothing is so beautiful as God. Nothing is more awesome than being in His presence. We are all going to fill our lives with something. We get to decide what that something will be.
Do you want to fill your life with the things of this world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in your lifestyle (I John 2:15-16)? Or would you rather be filled with the Word of God? When you meet Jesus, what do you want Him to see inside of you? Oh, that we might all be so filled with Jesus we cannot hold still. Imagine if we were so filled with the Word we had to tell someone about the goodness of God, or we would die! Let’s be people who follow hard after God, cling tightly to Him, and fill ourselves with His Word.