Good Morning = Good Day

A friend recently told me about the idea that giving God the  first-fruits of our day is as important as giving Him the first-fruits of our money.

This idea stuck with me, because I struggle with mornings.

Actually, I struggle with evenings, which results in a struggle with mornings. I have a hard time being disciplined about going to bed early.

But here’s what I know to be true:

1) Enough sleep = A happier Kendra

2) An early bedtime = A better morning

3) A better morning = A better day

Giving God the first-fruits of my morning actually starts the night before. I think I have much nicer fruit to offer Him if I’ve had a good sleep.

You know what bugs me, though? Someone out there has sold us all on the idea that we are all either a “morning person” or an “evening person”, and if we just so happen to be a natural night owl, we are no longer responsible for giving God the first-fruits of our day, because we don’t “do” mornings.

I am on a journey here, and most definitely don’t know everything I need to know yet, but I would like to add one more awesome truth to add to my list:

4) The first-fruits of your morning don’t have to be long, and don’t have to be at a certain time. They just need to be first…ish.

I find it difficult to get up early enough for full-on devotions at six in the morning. I like to do that in the evening, before I go to sleep. I used to feel guilty about this – like it wasn’t as godly to have devotions at night, as it is in the morning.

Then one day, I thought, “What about doing devos at night, which I love, and just spending a few minutes praying in the morning, giving my day to God?”

And it worked out beautifully. And I felt quite pleased with myself for figuring this out, but really, I don’t know why it took so long, or why I had such a hang-up about what exactly “devotions” had to look like. They can look however I want. At whatever time I want.

But first-fruits still need to be first. Because when I remember God first thing in the morning, and I give Him my day, and my plans, and myself, my mind is in a much better place to get through whatever the day holds. And it doesn’t need to take hours. Sometimes I do it when I wake up, and I’m still lying in bed. Sometimes I do it as I stand in my kitchen, drinking a glass of water and admiring the pink sky. It could be done in the shower. It could be done while blow-drying your hair. Anything that you do every single morning could become the reminder to spend a few minutes giving the day to God.

And then some days are just plain crazy, and all good plans and habits totally fall apart, and the only goal is to survive and get out the door on time.

But hopefully, those days don’t happen every day. And when they do, we just try again the next day.

Thank goodness for a fresh start each day!:)