King David wrote,

“In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”

Proverbs 119: 14-16

We’ve all witnessed the advice – on social media, in magazines, or even from our friends: Take some Me-Time. Get away. Take a vacation. Get a mani-pedi. Me-Time is important. And it sounds like such good advice. And sometimes it is. But ultimately, there is only one kind of Me-Time that is going to fill our hearts and minds with peace, bring us comfort when we’re stressed, and build us up to face the next task at hand. Only one kind of Me-Time will delight us as much as all the riches. The only kind of Me-Time that truly satisfies the needs of our hearts is spent with our Creator. This is time spent reading The Word, mediating on it, and praying over its application in our lives.

For me, this means getting up 15 minutes earlier than I normally would, and spending those 15 minutes reading a few verses at a time as I read through a book of the Bible over the course of a few months. After reading those few verses, I read any footnotes my Bible has provided and see what cross-referenced verses it directs me to look up. Then, I have a whole picture of what this passage is saying. Next, I ask myself questions about the verses I’ve read: What does this mean about God? What does this passage tell me about God’s character? Then, I consider who I am in response to that. What am I called to do because of who God is? What am I doing that’s falling short of what God want for me? How does this passage apply to me?  Praying over these questions and thoughts for even just a few minutes goes a long way. By the time the business of the day begins, I have a foundation of scripture on my mind and in my heart. I have my shortcomings laid out before a forgiving God, not carried like baggage in the back of my mind. I have my prayer requests for my family, my friends, and myself at His feet ready for his perfect answers to unfold. I have had a piece of Me-Time that no mani-pedi can compete with.

Sometimes, we need to just get away and take a break. But most of the time, we just need daily, intentional, quiet time with the One who made our hearts and made our minds. 

Before the rush of every day, before the school drop-offs, before the morning budget meeting, before the dishes or the errands or the workout; take your Me-Time. Your full heart will result in school drop-offs, meeting, chores, and workouts performed for the Glory of God, the fulfilment of our purpose.