Keeping B.U.S.Y?

About a year ago, I heard Dr. David Jeremiah preach a sermon on "Identifying the Enemy".  I used to bring my iPod to work to listen to him, until a few months ago,when I found out I could listen to his sermons online.  I recently heard his sermon on identifying the enemy, again. Being in a different place in my life than I was a year ago, it stirred up some different emotions. 

In the sermon, Dr. Jeremiah read a devotional where the author wrote about being a bug on a wall, or having seen Satan speaking to demons all over the world at a convention.  What he said was so awesome, I rewound it several times so that I could share this with you. 

Satan was telling his demons....

"As long as Christians are close to God, we have no power over them, so do these 12 things to gain victory over Christians...."

1.      Keep them busy with non-essentials

2.      Tempt them to overspend and go into debt

3.      Make them work long hours so that they can maintain empty lifestyles

4.      Discourage them from spending family time for when homes disintegrate, there is no refuge from work

5.      Overstimulate their minds with televisions and computers so they can't hear God speaking to them

6.      Fill their coffee tables and nightstands with magazines so they have no time to read the Bible

7.      Flood their mailboxes with sweepstake promotions and get rich quick schemes--keep them chasing material things

8.      Put glamorous models on TV and magazine covers to keep them focused on outward appearances that way they will be dissatisfied with themselves and dissatisfied with their mates

9.      Make sure couples are too exhausted for physical intimacy--that way they are tempted to look elsewhere

10.  Emphasize Santa and the Easter Bunny, that way you will divert them away from the real meanings of these holiday's

11.  Involve them in good causes so that they will not have time for eternal ones

12.  Make them self-sufficient, keep them busy working in their own strength so they will never know the joy of God's power working through them

Wow!  This was a wakeup call to me.  I get so distracted with all the things that I feel "need" to be done....always wishing for those additional hours in the day.  Often times, more times than I would like to admit....I get off work to get all of the non-essentials done.  Doing all of these non-essentials make me too tired to do the essentials.  I stay busy....Dr. Jeremiah mentioned an acronym for busy-- Being. Under. Satan’s. Yolk.  YUCK, why would you ever want to do that!  If only it were that easy, to not do the things we don’t want to do.  When we are too busy to do what God is calling us to do, when we have to get just one more thing clean (not saying not to clean--just saying do the essentials first), when we are constantly working off a list of non-essentials....we are b.u.s.y.  Being b.u.s.y, may end up being what keeps us from knowing if we are successful in what God is calling us to do. 

I am taking that list of 12 as a challenge.  I dont follow sports, and I am against war, but one thing I know for sure, is that knowing your enemy or opponent is sure helpful in a battle or game.  I am a "tryer"....ha, this means I am always "trying" to do something...."tonight, I am going to try to take my son on a walk", "I am going to read a chapter in the Bible".....No more....tonight....forget the non-essentials....I will spend more time with my husband and son and I will spend time with my Father. 

I will work with these 24 hours...because there is no such thing as plus7hours in any day. 

~Christan