Have you ever heard it said that women are great multitaskers? You know, that we’re supposedly better at multitasking than men are?
I have.
So when I realized I was terrible at it, it made me wonder if the statement was true, or if I was just an exception to the rule.
It turns out women aren’t any better at multitasking than men. (Shown in this study.)
In fact, multitasking is a big ol’ myth.
That’s right.
Surprised?
No one is actually good at multitasking. While the human brain is able to rapidly switch between different activities, it isn’t able to handle multiple tasks at once. It simply works on one thing at a time.
If you thought you were a great multitasker … well, I’m sorry to pop your bubble! ;)
The trouble with multitasking is that you’re not able to give each task the attention it deserves.
When we believe that multitasking is real, we can miss out on being fully present in moments that require it.
Something is going to suffer.
And when it comes to our spiritual lives, we can easily believe that we can multitask our way into a relationship with God.
Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t spend those few quiet minutes in the shower talking to Jesus. And absolutely take the time to pray over your family while you’re folding their laundry or cooking dinner.
But, if the only time we spend with God is while we’re trying to do something else on our to-do list, we are going to miss something special.
Our relationship with God deserves some one-on-one, distraction-free moments.
Maybe it’s five minutes of your day. Maybe it’s 30.
It depends on your season of life. (I see you, mamas!)
But the truth remains that we have to be intentional about our relationship with God. We must give Him the attention He deserves.
As a wife with a husband who works from home, we get a lot of opportunities to chat throughout the day. However, that doesn’t eliminate the need for us to spend quality time together. There are moments in the day where we sit down and give each other undivided attention. We still plan weekly date nights to leave distractions and busyness behind to simply enjoy one another's company.
The same applies to the time we spend with God.
I can say I pray every day because I talk to God as I go about my day. But He deserves more than my partial attention.
In a recent class with Kim Haney from Christian Life Center in Stockton, CA, she shared a story of missionary Nona Freeman. Sis. Freeman was busy with her family and mission work and found she wasn’t making time for prayer. God asked her to give Him an hour of her morning to prayer and promised her that she wouldn’t miss that hour of sleep. And, by morning I mean from 2 AM to 3 AM.
She made the decision to give God that hour of uninterrupted prayer time, and it changed her life. She went on to change the lives of so many others as a missionary, author, teacher, and more! The story of her life and work is truly amazing, and I guarantee she would tell you it all flowed out of those early hours spent with Jesus.
See, the trouble with multitasking your relationship with Jesus is that it doesn’t work.
If we give Him more than just the leftovers of our attention, He will give us more than leftover blessings.
So, make sure you’re giving God the attention He deserves.
