A reflection on discipleship
There are some who strive to observe daily QT and were pricked by the thorns of legalism. They are those who seem to correlate the very act of doing QT as a pre-requisite for God’s favour. These are Christian animists who tend to interpret a mishap that happened or unanswered prayers as God’s punishment for not doing their Quiet Time on that day. So they can be often plagued by a mixture of guilt and self-condemnation.
There are some who strive to observe daily quiet time and were consumed by the yeast of self-righteousness. These equate having regular quiet time to one’s status in Christ. The achievement of having a consistent Quiet Time lifestyle can make one feel justified and vindicated. They consider this as the very proof of their commitment to God and evidence of their maturity in Christ!
If doing QT can be so dangerous, we should stop doing it altogether! Let us rather practice having devotion with God instead. What’s the difference?
Doing Quiet Time
- Emphasis on “doing”. Focuses on the activity itself. Trying to accomplish the tasks of prayer and Bible reading at hand.
- Maintained by guilt. One’s regularity in doing QT is governed by one’s guilt of not doing it.
- Outcome oriented. Judge one’s QT is productive only if there is a concrete practical lesson learnt at the end of it, else feel it is dry.
- Will outgrow it. Will stop doing QT finally. Will find one can live on well enough without QT every day.
Having Devotion with God
- Emphasis on “being”. Focuses on being in the presence of God. Reading the Bible, meditating, conversing with God and worshipping interchangeably.
- Maintained by relationship. One’s regularity in having devotion is governed by one’s relationship with God.
- Process oriented. Does not rush God. See spending time in God’s presence as the reward itself. Will linger and return to God’s presence again and again.
- Will grow deeper into it. Will extend one’s devotion time with God. Will embrace a childlike faith of running to God constantly. Will crave for longer time alone with God. Will find one can’t live a day without spending time with God. Dwelling in God’s presence will permeate beyond a set aside time.
A disciple’s life is a loving and devotional one. It focuses on the Master. A disciple seeks to be in the presence of the Master as often as possible. The disciple’s longing is to know the Master and be like Him. It is unimaginable for a courting couple not to devote time to be with each other. Devoting regular time to be with God alone expresses that we are in an intimate relationship with God.
Asiri Fernando, the son of Dr Ajith Fernando, once wrote a moving tribute about his father. He said this of his father: “His daily time alone with God has always been the most important part of his day. He wouldn’t compromise it for anything.” For Dr Ajith Fernando, his daily devotion with God expresses that intimate and exclusive relationship he has with God, so much so that even his children can testify to that. Asiri echoed: “Since childhood, Dad has a growing intimacy, love and fear of God…”
We are not talking about a mere Christian routine activity to instil here but an indispensable spiritual posture to embrace. Through Word, Prayer and Worship, we want to grow in dwelling in the presence of God, in order to know Him deeper and to grow into His likeness.