Spiritual Discipline: Do You Have a Chair?

by Michael Kendrick, from Your Blueprint for Life

In 1960 Paul Carrack sang a song called “I Need You.” In it, he sings how he needs the one he loves like a ball needs a game, and like a pool needs a cue.

Without a game a ball has no purpose; without a cue a pool game isn’t going to happen. There are some things that just go together. One needs the other. Your calling is the same; it can’t exist without God. It begins and ends in Him.

Your relationship with Christ is also important because it’s the foundation for your entire life. Your relationship with God affects your career, finances, relationships, and physical life. The decisions you make in these areas are a direct result of your relationship with Him. This is why you need an intentional strategy to develop your spiritual life.

Developing this strategy isn’t a way to earn favor with God so you can get what you want. It’s not about being “good enough” or religious. It’s about responding to His invitation for you to know Him intimately, live for Him, and demonstrate your love for Him. (Remember this is one of the main reasons you are here.) This will lead to the abundant, eternal life you seek and that He promises to those who know Him (John 3:16-18). This is the only way you can be truly successful in your calling.

Bible Study

In his video “Coffee with God,” Pastor Bill Hybels tells an engaging story of a new Christian who was a hard-charging advertising executive. The man told Bill he didn’t have time to meet with God and read his Bible because of his daily responsibilities and work commute. Bill responded, “I have always been able to make time for stuff I value. I’m making time for a meeting with God in my life. You can do it however you want.” The man wasn’t too happy with Bill’s response and walked away.

Several months later Bill saw the man again. His countenance had changed, and he invited Bill and his wife to dinner. A short time after the Hybels arrived at the man’s home, the man ushered Bill to a rocking chair.
“I have a little backyard here and I love looking out... So I bought this chair to look out over the yard. Each morning I get up fifteen to thirty minutes early. I sit in the chair. I have a cup of coffee. I read God’s Word. I try to make sense of it. I ask Him to speak to me by His Word. Then I meditate on it, reflect on it, and apply it to my life. Then I write some thoughts down in a journal and I pray that I will be more aware of His presence.”

“How’s that going for you?” Bill asked.
His wife jumped in and said, “I’ll tell you how it’s going. He’s a changed guy. What happens to him when he sits in that chair has changed him. He’s more centered. He’s more gentle, and more loving in our marriage.”
Many months later the man told Bill that he was thinking of leaving his job in advertising. “I think I am done with that,” he said.

“Where did you get these ideas?” Bill asked.

“In my meetings with God in the chair. He’s been putting those thoughts in my mind.”

Then the man offered to volunteer at Willow Creek Community Church where Bill pastors while using some of his money from his advertising career to support his family. He was a blessing at Willow Creek and served at the church for many years as a dedicated worker.

Years passed and the man told Bill he had gotten another idea while sitting in his chair. He felt God was calling him to relocate to Colorado to serve at a new startup church. So he returned to the marketplace and donated much of the money he earned to his new church.

Years later, the man became ill with cancer and was admitted to the hospital. He was saddened that he didn’t have his chair with him.
After he passed away, the man’s wife told Bill, “His whole life changed in that chair. We are going to pass it on to our children and our grandchildren in the hopes that someone’s life will be transformed like his.” 1

This man’s life was transformed because he experienced intimacy with Christ through prayer and His Word. In the chair, his love grew for God, as well as others — and He received direction for his life and calling. God wants to do the same for you.

Like this man was at first, so many people are so busy doing good, being productive, living their lives, and maybe even doing good for God they don’t make time to be still before their Maker. But if we want to live the abundant life Christ promised (John 10:10), if we want to fulfill the two main reasons we are here — to know Christ and to glorify God — if we want to make a difference while we have our breath, we must spend time with Him. Your calling begins and ends in Him. He is the Source of your calling—and apart from Him you can do nothing (John 15:5). Don’t make the tragic mistake of spending your entire life neglecting your time with Him, only to later realize what treasured time you missed with your Creator and that you could have had a fuller, more productive life for Christ if you had known Him better. Don’t make the mistake of attempting to pursue your calling apart from Christ.
Do you have a chair?

Do you have a place where you can commune regularly with Christ and become aware of His presence in your life? Hybels says your “chair” can be anywhere. It can be in your bedroom closet, your car, or a corner booth at your favorite coffee shop. The important thing is to spend time with Christ. Intentionally carve out a specific time each day to hear from Him and share your life with Him.

Over on the FaithGateway Facebook page and on Instagram today our editors are sharing photos of our favorite chairs and other spots where we spend quiet time with God.