Pastor Adrian Rogers said, “If Satan can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.” Busy is a tool that Satan uses to get us off track and to steal our time. Sometimes, it doesn’t take blatant sin to rob us of what God has for us. Sometimes we miss it because we fill our lives with busyness.
MEMORIZE:
A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
read:
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
reflect:
We hear it all the time when talking with folks we haven’t seen in church for a while, or when talking with prospective serving team or group members, lamenting, “I’m just too busy to serve right now.” Or, "I just don’t have time to be in a group.” Or, "When is the next Partnership Class? I’m too busy to attend the upcoming one.”
Pastor Ron Edmonson says busyness is one of the primary ways he attacks the church: “Satan loves to distract church goers with a plethora of activity that produces little results in Kingdom-building.”
Apply:
How are you investing your time? How much time each week do you spend on Facebook? How much time do you spend on Instagram? How much time do you invest in leading people to Jesus and teaching them how to follow Him, either through serving or a small group? How is your quiet time?
One way to get a handle on your time is to audit how much time you’re spending each day on different activities. Here's my challenge for you today: log your time on a spreadsheet for one week. I'm serious! You’ll probably be surprised how much time you’re spending or not spending on certain activities. I was! We’ve included a 168 Hours Log download for your convenience. Download this page and keep track of your time this week. You’ll probably make some adjustments in how you invest your time. I know I did.
Pray:
Father God,
Help me invest my time wisely. I know there are things that I spend time on that aren't worth the amount of time I'm giving them. Help me to be a good steward of the one thing I cannot get more of… time. I want to make investments in your Kingdom. Help me set aside more time to spend on You. Help me discern those activities I take part in that waste my time. In Jesus’ name, amen.