How would you define an idol? Having grown up in church, I know all of the stories about the Israelites and their idols: the golden calf, the foreign gods, even Dagon, the idol that bowed down to the Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 5). When we think of idols in this context, we would claim not to worship idols. 

But idols don’t have to be crafted with our hands. An idol is anything that takes your attention off of God, anything that keeps you from your time with God. In this context, sleep can be an idol, TV can be an idol, and, dare I say it, food can be an idol.

Did you realize your “quiet time” can become an idol, too? It seems contradictory because your “quiet time,” your time in the Word, isn’t taking your focus off of God, right?

Oh, but it can!

It’s all too easy to spend time in the Word just so you can check it off your to-do list, post a pretty Instagram picture with your coffee and your colorful pens, or hit a goal you’ve set for yourself. The motive behind your devotional time can be pulling your focus off of God.

When I allow perfectionism to keep me from the Word because I think I have to have the prettiest space or the right Bible or the perfect pen or the best mug for my coffee, I am making my quiet time an idol.

When the reason for my time in the Word is to reach a goal or check it off a reading plan, I’ve lost focus of the purpose.

When I use my “quiet time” as an excuse not to face my responsibilities, or I wear it as a badge of honor so others can see how spiritual I am, my “quiet time” has become an idol.

Spending time in the Word should be a time of worship when we focus on knowing God more intimately.

So how do I avoid creating an idol out of my devotional time? 

Realize that God’s expectation is that you will come to Him as you are. You don’t have to get your ducks in a row, clean up your act, or get your house in order to spend time with Him.  Think about it this way: what are your expectations of your kids before they come to you? Do they need to clean up? Do they need to look or act a certain way? Would you reject them if they didn’t? Of course not! If my son wants a hug from me as he’s walking off the baseball field after a grueling double-header in the heat of summer, he gets that hug! Why then do we think God has expectations of us before we come to Him?

If you realize you are distracted and having a hard time focusing on what you’re reading, stop. Figure out what the problem is and fix it, or come back to your reading later in the day when you can be more focused. Minimize distractions as best you can, but be flexible and have grace. While you should have a plan, it shouldn’t be too rigid. You are developing a relationship, not simply trying to be more productive with your time.

Litmus Test

A great question to ask yourself is if you couldn’t tell anyone about your devotional time, would you still do it? I’m not encouraging you to keep your study to yourself—we need community and accountability—but if all of that was stripped away, would you still spend time with Him? If you know your answer to this question is “yes,” then your devotional time is really about your relationship with the Lord.

If your answer right now would be “no,” don’t quit. Giving up won’t solve the problem. Refocus. Repent, ask forgiveness, and realign.

If you need help with your time in the Word and want to learn to study it for yourself so you don’t have to depend on someone else to tell you what it means, download my free 6 Steps to Study the Bible on Your Own Workbook.

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