quality vs. quantity struggle

i feel like i need to start this post off by apologizing.  my absence has part been out of necessity, part out of laziness, and part out of obedience.  it's been a whirlwind of first few months of marriage, new jobs, moving into a new house, no internet connection, traveling, and the hustle and bustle of life.  it truly has all utterly consumed me, but that will never be something i would complain about.

here i am, digging into the word and sipping on my morning coffee, grateful for labor day.  it almost feels like a glimpse back into college.  wake up, read and do your quiet time for as long as you want, go to class, maybe do some homework, continue doing your quiet time for as long as you want, maybe blog about it for an hour or two, drink more coffee.  mark made me some delicious coffee this morning.  i poured it though, and chose the biggest mug we have for him!

so grab some coffee and sip with me.

let's make something clear.  the authenticity of your relationship with christ is not based on how many verses you memorize, or the quantity of chapters you cover in your quiet time, or the plethora of minutes you spend in prayer.  the authenticity of your personal relationship with christ is based on the quality of time you spend with him and the condition of your heart at which you approach christ.

i had gotten into a rut a few months ago because i physically couldn't spend the amount of time reading my bible as i had when i was in grad school.  with my new job and trying to be a wife, it just wasn't going to happen.  so i started believing the lie that in order to be a "good" christian, i had to check off some boxes and get said amount of reading in for the day.  it was a real struggle in my heart because i wanted to read, i wanted to spend time with the lord intimately like that, but physically there were not enough minutes in the day after working/planning to make my set quiet time look or feel like it did in grad school. heart breaking to me.

mark, my husband, preached last sunday night to the youth group about how to have a quiet time.  though i am not a high school student, it was still pretty convicting to me.  he mentioned that when you have a quiet time, it is not about measuring the quantity of time, but the quality of time you have with jesus.  he went through a bunch of scriptures and gave the student's some practical ways of starting quiet time, but it was a simple reminder that i can't compare my quiet times to other seasons.  i have to look at where i am currently and what God is trying to teach me at that moment.

i don't know if you have ever gone through major life changes back-to-back-toback, but if you have, i would be interested in hearing how you dealt with changes in your schedule.  i don't ever want to fall into the trap of trying to "fit" God into my day.  my day fits solely around God for his glory.

do you struggle in this area?
are you having a hard time making your quiet time a priority?
have you ever fought the quality of time verses quantity of time model?

'jesus answered him, "if anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him".'  -john 14:23

"how can a young man keep his way pure? by guarding it according to your word, with my whole heart i seek you, let me not wander from your commandments! i have stored up your word in my heart that i might not sin against you." -psalm 119:9-11