“I just can’t find the time,” said the gentleman in the booth behind me. I was having coffee with a friend, and I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation. It was apparent that it was a discipleship conversation because I was hearing the words “faith” and “abide,” which reminded me of a sermon I had heard years before titled “Faith Abides.”

We don’t use the word “abide” much these days. In John 15:7, Jesus says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (ESV). The Greek word translated “abide” is meno, which means to “remain, or continue” (Young’s Analytical Concordance). It’s a verb, which implies action.

As a Christian, asking God for something is important, but Jesus shows that it is based on relationship. If a stranger comes to me and wants to borrow $50, I am going to politely refuse the request. However, if my son comes and asks for $50, while there is no guarantee he’ll get it, he’s in a much better position to receive it because of our relationship.

Relationships are the key here. When we talk about abiding, using the definition above, we understand it means spending time with Him. Our “no time” excuses with God don’t really fly. We all have 24-hour days. How we prioritize that time is what gives the direction to our life. I’ve heard it said, “Show me your checkbook and your calendar and I’ll show you what’s important in your life.”

Being a child of the ‘60s, I recalled a song titled “No Time.” And thanks to Al Gore for inventing the Internet, I was able to Google the song and lyrics, which I found quite relevant.

On my way to better things, (No time left for you),
I found myself some wings, (No time left for you),
Distant roads are callin’ me, (No time left for you),
No time for a summer friend, No time for the love you send,
Seasons change and so did I, You need not wonder why,
You need not wonder why,
There’s no time left for you, No time left for you.

(The Guess Who, September 1969)

Now all of us like the idea that whatever we ask for we receive, but this is a conditional promise — something akin to eating all your dinner if you want dessert. It requires abiding and continuing. The reality is that your faith and your walk are never going to be any stronger than the quality of your intimate time with the Lord. The spiritual man (or woman) is formed in that time of intimacy with God. There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity.

When I talk to people about having a quiet time in the morning, it is usually met with rationalizations (we don’t call them excuses) about how busy we are. If we’re honest with ourselves, it’s a combination of a lack of enthusiasm on one hand and a lack of trust on the other. We don’t really trust the Lord to give us strength for the day when we lose an hour of sleep by getting up early. We don’t trust Him to make problems we might have faced evaporate before they even happen.

The history of the church is replete with biographies of men of God who made it a priority to start their day with Him. There are no “great men of God,” but there are men who did great things because of their relationship with a great God.

So, if you think you might want to try it, let me close with the words of that great philosopher from a galaxy far away:

What say ye, Man of Valor?
Semper Fidelis!