God in all my boxes

Tonight I attended a young adult gathering at my friend's church in Washington. The opening exercise for the Bible study was a variety of questions about how many of us spend significant amounts of time watching TV, surfing the net, text messaging, playing games, chatting on the phone, etc. The question was then presented for reflection, "Why do we struggle so much spending just one hour a day in prayer and Bible study?" I'm accustomed to such exercises that are intended (as far as I can see) to motovate (kick in the pants) us to do things that we think we should do (the outcome is often just a fresh dose of guilt added to our burden of ever increasing to do's).

As is often the case, my contrary mind wants to see thinks from a different perspective. We only have a certain amount of time to live each day. There are basic things that we do which fall into certain time "boxes" such as: employment, time with family, sleep, entertainment (and yes, I believe there is value to this in moderation), and devotions. The boxes are each competing for more and more of our attention. We dream about that illusive idea of balance. Religion is forever harping on the idea that our God box (devotions) is never big enough.

While I do see value in taking time apart from other life activities to focus on my relationship with God, I wonder if God is not wanting to compete with all my other boxes in life? Maybe He's more interested in joining me in each box that I'm living in at any given moment? Maybe God doesn't want me to be guilt ridden that His box in my life is never big enough. I think He just wants me to be aware of His presense (and to interact with it) in all of them like the cloud penetrating all the boxes of the day in the illustration above!

And then, maybe I'd find myself being drawn (not guilted) to prayer and Bible reading either in a designated "God box" or in any one of my other life boxes.