#982 – Quiet Time

The above is a picture of me not having a quiet time.

Before Thanksgiving I’m spending a few days in Las Vegas on vacation. I’m here with a few friends and looking forward to relaxing after a long season of ministry. It’s not that I can’t or don’t have quiet times in Las Vegas; I enjoy the irony of sitting with God in the city of sin.

However, I’ve found that some people, myself included, like to post pictures of their quiet times. I’ve often sat on my patio trying to get the perfect shot of my coffee, my iPad and my devotional. I’ve never really thought about why I post those pictures, but they do create a false reality.

There are days when I set aside time for God and there are days when I don’t set aside time for God. If I only post pictures when I do set aside time for God, then I’m creating a false image of my life. I’m hoping that people assume I’m always spending time with God and never fall behind on my Bible reading or devotional.

The truth is, though, there are plenty of days when I don’t spend time with God. As I’m writing this post, I’ve yet to spend time with God. I woke up and needed to pack and get gas in my car before heading out to Vegas. After getting to our hotel I went to the gym, had dinner and watched some football. I haven’t done anything overtly sinful, but I also haven’t carved out time to sit and read God’s word and listen for his voice.

I like people thinking that I’m always spending time with God, even if it’s a lie. I’d much rather be someone who always spends time with God and doesn’t need to post pictures of it to create a false reality.

I’m not shooting down the idea of posting pictures of our quiet times; I think that they can encourage others. We need to be sure, though, that we’re not using those pictures as a mask to create a false reality. It’s much more important to spend time with God than to share that time on Instagram.

Have you ever posted a picture of your quiet time? Why did you?