I remember being a collegiate athlete and not understanding the fullness of rest. Rest only came when I felt under the weather or was injured. Meanwhile, spending time with God was mostly a spontaneous act. I would participate in a Bible study once a week and counted that toward my faith hours.

That’s how I lived until I met my spiritual mentor, who showed me how to create time for God. A significant portion of that lesson was that I had to choose to make room for God. My schedule doesn’t come first; God does. That lesson changed everything for me.

Coaches’ and athletes’ schedules are jam-packed. You have routines filled with practice, planning, competitions, travel and lifting sessions. Additionally, you deal with extracurricular team participation activities and dinners, school and studying and personal things. All that to say, coaches and athletes are terribly busy.

Jesus was also remarkably busy. He was on the move, walking miles and miles to the next town. People stopped and interrupted Jesus all the time. He taught in and out of villages and sat with many for meals. He healed people and moved through tumultuous crowds. His days were filled with teaching His apostles and rebuking those who doubted Him.

Despite His wildly busy schedule, Jesus would find a solitary place and pray early in the morning (Mark 1:35). He was notorious for withdrawing from the crowd and His people to spend time with His Father. People would look for Jesus beyond the crowd and find Him in prayer, spending time with God (Luke 4:42).

Jesus prioritized His time with God, ensuring He was rooted in His Father’s love and filled by His strength and power for each day. 

-FCA-