All the time is spiritual time

"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." - Mark 8:34

I'm already excited for next semester of college, and for me (and literally everyone) the only thing that stands in the way is time.  So I suppose the important question is what am I going to do with my time.  I don't mean like literal time, that is going to be taken up with work and vacations and stuff.  I'm talking about the only time that really matters, spiritual time.  

Spiritual time should mean more than just time allotted for reflection and prayer.  It should mean more than just time spent with God.  Spiritual time doesn't exist separate than normal time, it can and should exist at the same time as normal time.   Spiritual is time spent living the way Jesus calls us to live.

But what does it mean to live the way Jesus called us to?  How did Jesus call us to live?

Very good questions.  You get a gold star for today.  Mark 8:34-37 (also see Luke 14:27, Matthew 16:24) says:

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? (ESV)
Jesus is basically saying that following him, takes effort.  It takes commitment, it takes the denial of what ever you want to do with your day doing what God wants you to do.  This is not easy, nor should it be.  

Every part of our culture is about comfort and self indulgence.  'You!, You! You!'  This has been said before so I wont focus on it.  But what Jesus is saying is completely counter cultural.  He wants us to DENY that part of our self, that part of our self that seeks being comfortable, and puts itself first.  

I keep a copy of Mark 8:34 in my wallet

Deep down, all I want to do this summer is work, hang out with friends and stay in my room playing xbox.  But God is calling out me in this verse.  This summer God wants me to break back out of my comfort zone, something that was easy to do starting college, but now back home it will significant effort.  God wants me to talk to people, deepen the spiritual relationships I have with current friends, and most importantly, spread his Gospel.  That thought just makes me uncomfortable.  

And that is a good thing! Because by keeping to myself, by pursuing what I want, and doing what I feel comfortable doing, I gain a lot on this earth.  But when I die, I can count that all as lost, because all that will be left is my soul.  And what profit do I get for gaining the world but then forfeiting my soul.  

If someone is reading this and says "Well Christianity sucks, I could never be good enough to be a part of that."  Stop thinking that.  Because no matter what I do, no matter what any of you do, we will never be good enough for God.  The only way that can happen is if we accept Jesus into our lives.  It's Jesus that saves us, not being a good person, not being 'good enough'.  These works are a result of us being saved, not a cause.  Even if I were to absolutely fall flat on my face in failure this summer, I can take hope in the fact I'm not saved through my works, only through the blood of the lamb.  I think that's one of the most misunderstood facts about Christianity.  

So I know what I'm doing with my time this summer.  I going to spend all my time in constant spiritual time.  I'm going to let God take control, and I am going to pick up cross, and make an effort to follow God.  Even if fail, Jesus is there to pick me up.  Always.  Stay thirsty my friends.  Or not.  John 4:14