Brushing Teeth for the Dentist

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Psalm 1:1-3

Have you ever found yourself shortchanging the amount of time you spend brushing your teeth? I know I have. Dentists recommend brushing 2 or 3 times a day for 2 to 3 minutes each time. But how often do you find yourself in a hurry to get out the door in the morning, or really wanting to get to bed at night and end up shortening how much you brush your teeth? Maybe when you travel and are out of your routine, you end up like me, only brushing once per day.

But what about when you know you're about to go see the dentist? Likely, you make sure to give your teeth a good, long brushing shortly before seeing him. If you think about it, you might floss or ensure your brushings are really good for the day or two leading up to it.

How often do we treat our time with God like this? Unfortunately I do much more often than I'd like to admit. I'd love to spend an hour in the Word each day, but sometimes my mornings get rushed trying to get to work and in the evenings I don't make it a priority until bedtime when I decide sleep is more important. I certainly could re-arrange and if I made it more of a priority, it would happen. And when the weekend comes and I know I'll be going to church, I make sure to get my time in the Word. Yes, it's good, legitimate, refreshing time, and there isn't anything wrong with that time, but I'm shortchanging myself the rest of the week.

In the dentist analogy, if I don't brush my teeth much until I'm ready to see the dentist, I'm doing myself a disservice, not him. So if I'm skipping quiet times, I'm really hurting myself the most and missing out on God's best for me. Shortchanging our time with God hurts our own spiritual development most.

*Father God, I confess that I shortchange my time with you. I confess that my heart has the wrong attitude and I try to fit you into my schedule instead of revolving my schedule around yours like I should. Please forgive me. Please teach me how to better structure my life, that it may revolve around you. I want to grow and experience all the best you have for me. In Jesus’ name, amen!

Lincoln W. – WB Journal
Blessings Daily Devotional