The Most Overlooked Love: Making Time for God

In a month where love is celebrated loudly — in flowers, dinners, and grand gestures there is a quieter form of love that often goes unnoticed. It doesn’t come with applause. It doesn’t post well on social media. But it changes everything. It is the love you show yourself when you intentionally return to God.

Life moves quickly. Responsibilities stack up. Messages need replies. Deadlines don’t wait. And somewhere in the middle of managing work, family, health, and expectations, your spiritual life can slowly drift to the background. Not because you don’t care, but because you are tired. Because you are busy. Because you assume you’ll get to it later.

But spiritual neglect has a cost.

When you’re disconnected from God, anxiety tends to speak louder. Your thoughts feel heavier. Decisions feel rushed. You become more reactive than reflective. You start running on your own understanding, and that understanding can only carry you so far.

Spending intentional time with God is not about religious performance. It is about recalibration. It is about remembering who you are beyond your productivity and beyond other people’s opinions. It is about anchoring your identity somewhere stable when the world feels unstable.

Time with God creates clarity. When you slow down long enough to pray, to read, or simply to sit in silence, your nervous system settles. Your breathing deepens. Your perspective widens. What felt overwhelming starts to look manageable. What felt urgent starts to look less threatening. You respond with intention instead of impulse.

There is also something deeply healing about quiet spiritual space. Emotions that you have pushed aside begin to surface. Disappointments you never named finally find language. Stress that has been sitting in your body begins to loosen its grip. In that stillness, you are reminded that you do not have to carry everything alone.

Loving yourself through time with God means choosing discipline over distraction. It means protecting a few minutes each day not because you are trying to impress anyone, but because your soul requires nourishment just like your body does. Just as you would not skip meals for days without consequence, you cannot consistently starve your spirit without feeling the impact.

The beauty of it is that it does not require hours. It requires consistency. Ten focused minutes before the day begins can change the tone of your entire morning. A pause before responding in frustration can shift the outcome of a conversation. A moment of gratitude before bed can quiet racing thoughts.

When you are spiritually aligned, you love differently. You lead differently. You make decisions differently. You move from a place of confidence rather than insecurity. You extend grace more easily. You guard your peace more intentionally.

This February, as love becomes the focus, consider expanding your definition. Love is not only about what you give to others. It is also about how you care for the deepest part of yourself. Returning to God daily is not weakness. It is strength under control. It is leadership rooted in humility. It is self-love at its highest level.

Start small. Choose a time. Turn down the noise. Open your heart.

Not because you have to, but because you deserve to be anchored, clear, and whole.

Tamekis Williams, LCSW, CCTP