PROVERBS 21:5 – The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.

THEME OF THE DAY. HOW TO LOSE INTIMACY WITH GOD. It doesn’t take committing murder, adultery, grand theft, or any other “big sin” for a Christian to suddenly lose intimacy with God. It happens slowly like a dripping faucet. A slow drip, drip, drip from a leaky faucet will eventually fill up a plugged sink or large cup under its spout. And spiritual intimacy with God will be forfeited by a slow “drip” of busy, busy, busy causing us to neglect the three primary ways of keeping close to the Lord and enjoying His power and presence –His Word, prayer, and His church. Simply stated, “Want to lose intimacy with God? Live a busy life, or be characterized by today’s scripture – a person who is hasty (busy) who will only know and experience spiritual poverty – a barren soul and cold, worldly heart. But let’s dive a little deeper in this serious issue facing Christians today.

We live in a culture that is busy and wants everything fast. When that doesn’t occur; frustration, irritation, and impatience abound – the fruits of our sinful flesh. Test the statement out. Ever been frustrated in traffic slowing you down to a place you need to be? What about a way too slow drive-through window at a fast food place or bank? How about slow internet speeds? And why do we get frustrated, irritated, and impatient when what we want now causes us to wait? Because we are busy people with places to go, people to see, events to attend, and activities to do. Anything slowing us down is viewed as an “enemy”, a disruptor of our time, and an unwelcome “kink” in our schedule. But if we choose to live like this, and yes, I am convinced Christians overschedule their lives and families. Some always seem to be running around busy at breakneck speed to this event, activity, or whatever, and it shows in their lives – no closeness with God, too much stress, and constantly fatigued. And too often, it is self-imposed and a failure to really grasp what choosing busy means. The choice of busy is really a choice to not know God. This is seen too frequently in the way Christians treat Sunday, the Lord’s Day.

Many Christians have their schedules so full of worldly things, even good worldly things, that there is no room for the most important things – spiritual things such as intimacy with the Lord. Not only do Christians willingly sacrifice closeness with God with a busy worldly life, but they do so on the Lord’s Day. Christian, think for a moment of the message we send to our children and other Christians if we opt to make missing church a regular habit due to sports, other activities, even family activities. Please don’t misunderstand me. Family time is so important. Guard those times. Invest in those times, but don’t allow family to actually become idols replacing God’s place and commands to us like “not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together” (Hebrews 10:25). How about trying this? Would not a great family outing be to go to church to meet and worship God together? If that is not possible, what about making that family outing or gathering a Saturday and safeguard the day of worship reserved for the Lord? No matter how we want to frame it, compromise the one day of the week we are to gather for spiritual purposes, and don’t be surprised if our children want nothing to do with God and His church. It won’t be important to them because they saw it wasn’t important for us. Friends, God didn’t give up His Day and His church for busy worldliness. He gave His Day and His church for our spiritual health and it is not optional. Don’t make it such. The consequences for ourselves and the next generation is significant. Intimacy with God is our created purpose and re-created purpose in Christ. Seek it and don’t let busyness rob us of the privilege.

PRAYER: “Father, forgive me when I let the busyness of life draw me away from the source of my life – You.”

QUOTE: “Over schedule your life; allow busyness to drive your life, and spiritual intimacy with God will fade from your life.”