Making Space for God Isn’t Easy

My intentions are good. My follow-through does not always match my intention. Let me explain.

I really want to spend time with God. That’s a good desire. But it is common for something to always get in the way – preempting my desire by distraction. 

It’s not a lack of faith or desire. But if you’re like me, “life” seems to get in the way. 

Life simply feels full.

Responsibilities demand our attention. Emails wait to be answered. Deadlines approach. Family needs arise. News alerts appear on our phones. Conversations continue in our minds long after they end. Even our moments of rest are often filled with screens, notifications, and distractions.

Then, somewhere in the middle of it all, we hear Jesus’s invitation: “Abide in me.”

We want to respond. We know His invitation is good. Yet quietly we discover that slowing down is far more difficult than we expected.

Perhaps that’s because we have become so accustomed to movement that stillness feels unfamiliar – even uncomfortable.

In our previous reflection, we considered Jesus’ invitation to abide rather than strive. 

We noted that spiritual growth does not primarily come through trying harder, but through remaining connected to Christ. Yet once we hear that invitation, another challenge emerges: 

How can we create the space necessary to remain attentive to Him?

The problem is not that God is absent. More often, the problem is that our attention is elsewhere. Throughout Scripture, God frequently meets people in places of attentiveness rather than activity. 

• Moses encounters God in the wilderness.
• Elijah hears God not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a gentle whisper. 
• Jesus regularly withdraws from the crowds to pray. 

Repeatedly, we see the same pattern: God is present, but people must be attentive enough to recognize Him.

One of the most familiar examples is the story of Martha and Mary.

When Jesus visits their home, Martha is busy with the many responsibilities of hospitality. Mary sits at Jesus’ feet and listens. Martha becomes frustrated and asks Jesus to intervene.

His response is gentle but revealing:

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion…” (Luke 10:41–42, ESV).

This passage is sometimes misunderstood as a criticism of work or responsibility. 

It is not.

Martha is doing something good. Hospitality matters. Service matters. Responsibility matters. The issue is not that Martha is working. The issue is that her activity has begun to crowd out her attentiveness.

I’m very much aware of this tension. Perhaps you are, too. 

We live with good responsibilities. We care for people. We meet obligations. We work hard. Yet somewhere along the way, it becomes possible to become so occupied with life that we lose sight of the One who gives life its meaning.

The challenge is not simply busyness. It is distraction.

Some distractions are obvious. Endless scrolling. Constant entertainment. An unending stream of news and information.

Others are more subtle. Anxiety. Worry. The need to control outcomes. The pressure to perform. The belief that our worth is somehow connected to our productivity.

These things quietly shape our hearts.

And when our attention becomes fragmented, our awareness of God’s presence often begins to fade – not because God has moved away, but because we have become less aware of His presence.

This is one reason creating space for God can feel uncomfortable.

When we finally slow down, we often encounter thoughts, emotions, worries, and questions that have been hidden beneath the noise. We discover how accustomed we have become to filling every empty space.

Yet those moments of quiet can become sacred places.

Not because silence itself changes us, but because silence creates room for us to become attentive to God.

Psalm 46:10 says: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Notice the order.

Stillness comes before knowing.

The psalmist is not describing a technique. He is describing a posture of trust. A willingness to stop striving long enough to remember who God is – and who we are not.

This is why slowing down matters.

Not because God is demanding more spiritual effort from us. Not because we must earn His attention. But because relationships require attention.

A friendship cannot grow without presence. A marriage cannot flourish without attentiveness. The same is true in our relationship with Christ. 

Abiding requires space.

The encouraging news is that creating space for God does not require a dramatic life change. Most of us do not need another program, another book, or another obligation. We simply need moments of intentional attentiveness.

• Five quiet minutes before the day begins.
• A slow walk without earbuds.
• A brief pause before opening our phone.
• Reading a short passage of Scripture and lingering with it rather than rushing through it.
• Small moments matter. Over time, they teach our hearts to notice God again.

And often, we discover that He has been present all along.

A Gentle Place to Begin

If slowing down feels difficult, don’t be discouraged. You are not failing.

You are simply learning something many of us must learn again and again – that attentiveness does not come naturally in a distracted world.

Begin with grace. Begin small. Begin where you are.

Simple Practice

• Set aside five uninterrupted minutes this week.
• Sit quietly before God.
• Take a slow breath.
• Read Psalm 46:10. Then simply ask: “Lord, what would You like me to notice today?”
• Resist the urge to fill the silence.
• Just listen.

Reflect

• What most often competes for my attention and makes it difficult for me to be present with God?
• How might I feel if I acknowledge the distraction and let it know: I will return my attention – later. Right now, I have an appointment with God. 

Next Step

• Identify one small distraction you can reduce this week in order to create a little more space for God.
• Do not focus on changing everything.
• Focus on making room.

Walking Forward Together

Jesus’ invitation to abide remains as relevant today as it was when He first spoke it. Yet abiding requires attentiveness, and attentiveness requires space.

In a world that constantly demands more of our attention, making space for God isn’t easy. But it is often in those quieter moments that we begin to recognize what has been true all along: 

God is present. He is near. And He is inviting us to walk with Him.