Church services are typically 1.5 hours long on a Sunday morning. I know there are times when we sit through the service and look at the time wondering when it will end.
The to-do list in the back of our minds makes it impossible to concentrate on what the preacher is saying. Our eyes are closing every few seconds as we now regret staying up too late the night before. I sometimes want time alone, but I remain compelled to come to church to gather as a community of God’s people.
1.5 hours
There is so much we could do in this time. We could watch a movie, read a few chapters of a book, bake a dessert, or even squeeze in a much-needed nap. Perhaps 1.5 hours remind you of your commute to or from work in traffic.
1.5 hours out of 168 hours a week is not that much. Our perspective inevitably differs according to what is on our hearts. Somehow watching a movie or chatting with friends for 1.5 hours feels like nothing. However, 1.5 hours in church sometimes seem to drag on, and it seems an impossible task to read the Bible or pray for this length of time.
1.5 hours is not enough
This year, I’ve dedicated Sunday mornings before church to spend with God. In those times, two hours of reading the Bible, praying, and singing praises is not enough. It almost feels like I’m just getting started, but then I’m cut short because I need to drive to church.
I realised that if I can spend two hours with God, then how can 1.5 hours a week at church be enough?
Because in all honesty, it isn’t.
Just like we can’t survive on 1.5 hours of sleep a day, we can’t live life by spending 1.5 hours with God a day, let alone a week. Perhaps it’s our self-reliance or pride that causes us to believe we are strong enough to face the week alone.
Three suggestions to combat this mindset
1. View time with God as fluid.
When we schedule church or quiet time into our week, we are instinctively allocating time to this (such as 1.5 hours). Instead, let us allow our time with God to last as long as it needs to be, as led by the Holy Spirit.
2. View time with God as an encounter, not an event.
We automatically view meeting with God as a chore or a ‘to-do’ when we regard it as an event. However, our desire to meet with God should be like our longing to meet with a close friend. We are gifted this blessing to always be in God’s presence. We have this opportunity to encounter him numerous times a day.
3. View time with God as a predictor of our life.
Time spent with God is never wasted. It changes our perspective, grounds us in truth, and gives us the wisdom to manage the challenges of every day. When we understand this, we will naturally recognise our need to be with him. We will realise that 1.5 hours a week at a Sunday service is not enough. Our souls need more than that.
1.5 hours is not an eternity
I pray that as we grapple with our use of time each day and week, spending time with God is no longer seen as a chore or an event. But rather it becomes our heart’s deep desire to encounter God, our most important friend. There is undeniable, radiating power and strength that comes from being connected with God.
I long for all of us to realise that 1.5 hours with God is not enough. We have control over how we respond to the length of time. And we have a choice to end our times with God abruptly or let it linger.
Realistically, one day our lives in heaven will be for eternity.
What will we do if we cannot even cope with 1.5 hours a week?
Stephanie enjoys simple living, admiring nature’s beauty and intricacy, and playing the piano. She is particularly passionate about empowering the vulnerable. Writing is her way of processing thoughts and feelings to understand herself, God and the world in a deeper and more meaningful way.