This might sound like an unusual title for a blog post, but I will explain what the ‘Green Zone’ is in my life and why I believe it is important for every Christian to have one.

In my previous retail career, I used to travel frequently, often covering more than 70,000 miles in the car each year. Those were busy days, and I learned how to spend quality time with God ‘on the move’ while I was driving. We talk at UCB about having a daily ‘Coffee with God‘, but I learned how to do ‘Driving with God’! I would often listen to the Bible on those long journeys, or I would play worship music, but my focus was on spending time in God’s presence, which was very important in helping me get ready for the day.

These days I do not drive as many miles each year, but my diary is often full. However, in my calendar is what I call the Green Zone. These are blocks each day (usually mornings) which are blanked out in the colour green, and it is time that I purposefully make sure is not booked for anything else. The time is used differently every day: it is sometimes spent reading God’s Word or praying with the team, but the aim is always to welcome the real Boss into the working day! We are nothing without Him.

Many of us have busy lives with demands from work, family, and church, and it can be easy to let the small discipline of spending daily time with God slip. In my younger years, I would sometimes look at time spent with God as part of my Christian ‘duty’.  But although I now have the ‘green zone’, it is not a duty or a ritual in any way, it is just spending time with my Father and getting His wisdom for the day ahead. After all, if I didn’t see or speak to my wife for a few days, I would miss hearing her voice or having her presence in my life. I feel it is the same with our Heavenly Father; we need to hear His voice and experience His presence in our lives every single day. It has to become a lifestyle choice.

In Genesis, we see the first separation between man and God. Man was created to walk in unity with God, but when sin entered the world, their relationship was damaged. I believe the enemy knows that when we are in God’s presence, we flourish. It is where we get wisdom and strength and where we truly grow. If the enemy can stop or distract us from that time, he knows we will never truly grow. That is why this time each day is an essential, non-negotiable part of my day.

Can I encourage you to find your own ‘Green Zone’ each day? I believe that time spent with God will change your life. It will give you strength and faith for the day ahead and help you to understand God’s purpose for your life.