At church, I have been preaching a series of messages from the Epistle to the Philippians. Currently we are looking at chapter three which many view as simply the Apostle Paul’s biographical information. While it does contain some of that, at the core of that passage is some solid biblical teaching and examples of how we as believers can avoid falling into Satan’s subtle traps set to trip us up in our walk. One of those traps is to become so busy in our lives that we neglect to grow in intimacy with our Savior.
Paul the Apostle was certainly a high achiever. But his greatest ambition was not ministerial success, recognition, or even worldly gain. He stated that of all his achievements which any of us would be proud of, he counted them as garbage in light of knowing Christ and being found in Him. To be found in Christ is to be saved. It is to be rescued from sin and the wages of sin which is death. It is to be adopted into the family of God and to now be a child of God with all the rights of one who will inherit eternal life. Everything that can be gained on earth really amounts to nothing in comparison with knowing Christ and having His righteousness by faith.
This should remind us that the heartbeat of the Christian life, the nuclear reactor of power for living godly in Christ Jesus comes from a growing relationship with Jesus where we come to know Him more and more. Satan knows this better than we do. And one of his many tactics to derail us in this life is to offer substitutes that replace true intimacy with Jesus. He will give us plenty to do. He will give us plenty to distract us. He will so fill our lives with activities that we no longer have time to simply find rest in Jesus.
It is the Lord Jesus who said that all who are weary and heavy laden, burdened down with the cares and activities of this life, should come to Him to find rest for our souls. How is your rest? How is your relationship with Jesus? Have you traded busyness and activity for finding daily comfort, instruction, and rest in Jesus? Here is probably what has happened to you.
Satan would rather you be on a treadmill of doing than simply taking the time each day to be with Jesus. It is possible to serve in every ministry, attend every church event, and then lose the personal devotion to Jesus that would be the true fuel for a true service to Christ. When busyness replaces prayer and when programs replace authentic worship, what happens to us is that the fires of devotion and growing relationship with Jesus cools off to the point that we lose our first love.
The cure for this is not complicated at all. Open your Bible and read. Take in the Words of eternal life. Get to know the ways and will of your Savior as the Holy Spirit leads you into all truth. Try spending some unhurried time in prayer. Ask the Lord to rekindle your affections for Him. What I believe you will find is that the more you get to know Jesus, the more you will want to make Him known to those around you. That is keeping the main thing the main thing and avoiding being tripped up in your Christian walk and service.
Joe Tolin
Kingman Presbyterian Church
