Be still and know that I am God. ( Psalm 46: 10)

Christians everywhere live with it, embrace it, and at times boast about it. Yet it is one of the most powerful weapons the enemy has in his arsenal, and we often aren’t aware of its presence.  Busyness, if not eradicated from the believer’s life, will eventually  destroy the abundant life that is found only in a healthy relationship with Christ.

Following the tragic events of 9/11, we became more concerned about terrorist attacks and weapons of mass destruction, which remain a threat to this day.  However, while the need for homeland security is real and necessary, the spiritual battle facing Christians can destroy more than our physical bodies, homes, and possessions. It not taken seriously, and fought with valor, it can destroy our very souls. Busyness is one of Satan’s weapons of mass destruction in the lives of Christians, and we must be prepared to fight against it.

The trend of busyness seems to have reached epidemic proportions in the lives of believers today. Ask any Christian how they are and you are likely to get the same answer: Busy! Sadly, we sound like the rest of the world in this regard. We are stressed out, rushing from one activity to the next, running in circles, exhausted, and running on empty. We fall into bed worn out and jump up the next morning to start the cycle all over again. I once heard a pastor say that BUSY stands for Being Under Satan’s Yoke. I have to agree.

Unfortunately,  we live in a society that values busyness. We boast about how many things we get done in a day or how many things we are involved in. It seems the more we have on our calendars the more affirmation we receive. We may look at others and ponder with amazement how they fit so many things into their daily schedule and envy them.

Satan uses the weapon of busyness to keep Christians from growing in their spiritual walk. Since Satan often works subtly, we fail to notice him. He keeps us distracted by all the things going on around us, hoping to render us unproductive and ineffective as believers in Christ. Busy lives lead to lives void of prayer and scripture reading. Lives void of prayer and scripture reading leads to immature faith that never grows or deepens.

Satan distorts our thinking, convincing us that everything is okay.  When asked about our relationship with God, most Christians would proclaim, “God is first in my life!” However, when asked to share our daily schedules, we may find something totally different. Our true priorities can be determined by taking an honest look at our daily schedules. The things that fill our days speak volumes about what is number one in our hearts. We always make time for the things that are most important to us.

As I grow older, I care less about keeping up with the rat race. I’ve scaled back my commitments to outside activities drastically. I’ve chosen to concentrate on my relationship with God and writing for His glory. I feel this is my ministry in this season of life while I’m struggling with health issues and healing from the loss of my husband and father.

Rather than participating in a Bible study class, I’m reading scripture with my journal open and jotting down what God puts on my heart each day. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m all for structured Bible study groups, and I’ve participated in many over the years and have gained wonderful benefits from them. But now is a different season for me.  It’s a season to be still, slow down, and not worry about keeping up with the fast pace of life swirling around me.

Learning to be still before God each day is a wonderful thing. I feel free to soak up the treasures from God’s word without the distraction of a lesson to finish or a class to attend. There’s something pure and beautiful about intimacy with God and just sitting at his feet waiting to see what amazing things he wants to teach me.

Less truly is more. I’ve found the more I’ve cut back on outside things, the more complete my life feels. In light of eternity, it won’t matter how many clubs we belonged to or how many activities we were involved in. What will matter is our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Nothing is more important. Nothing matters more.

As Christians, our priorities should not look the same as the rest of the worlds. Time with God is a must and is not something to be taken lightly. Apart from God, we can do nothing.

Excessive busyness must be eradicated from our lives. Only them will we know the blessing of intimacy with our Savior. The abundant life He came to give us is waiting, and it won’t be found in the rat race. We need to slow down, be still, and seek first His kingdom rather than the distractions the world has to offer.