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My Spanish lessons on the online programme Duolingo had been going well. It's a wonderfully easy way to learn a language, with varied ways of drilling the material to be learned. Some exercises even involve speaking into the microphone, repeating the featured phrase out loud. One evening, however, the microphone just wouldn't work. My husband shut down the computer and refreshed it. It still didn't work. Going back to the beginning of the lesson several times brought no success. I never did get past Lesson Three, and gave up that day on further progress. I had been sabotaged!
In the same way, the enemy of our souls sabotages my “walk” with the Lord. That is, he interferes in my life, which I'm trying to lead according to God's plan.
Take, for example, my early morning Quiet Time. I get distracted easily. For one thing, I'm hungry when I wake up, so after mixing vitamin powder into my freshly-squeezed lemon juice, I start the porridge. I have to to adjust the heat and time the porridge just right so it doesn't stick to the pot. Then I have to eat it right away, so it doesn't get too solid. Emails, texts, and phone calls distract me. Distraction is one of the major ways the enemy wars against me.
A major victory in my life is even having a quiet time. For many working years, I was not successful at it, resulting in overwhelming guilt. Now the attack is more subtle. I'm in place first thing in the morning, with my Bible and journal by my side, but I'm allowing myself to be disrupted.
How to win this battle?
Walking in the natural is accomplished step by step. So it is in our spiritual lives. We advance in our “walk” with the Lord, step by step. It's a day by day process.
* First of all, we must have the desire to meet with God daily. That's foundational.
* We have to commit to establishing and maintaining godly habits.
* We must realize we are not alone; we have the help of the Holy Spirit.
* Hebrews 12:1 says, “Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up.” (CEB) We have to set aside our cell phones and not give in to checking them for “important” messages.
* We can't let the lesser goals of the day waylay us. Yes, they have to get done. But If God is supposed to come first, He must literally be first in the order of the day.
* We have to get a good night's sleep. When I wake up and find myself distracted by “the worries of this life” (Matthew 13:22 NLT), I recite the Scriptures I've memorized in the past. Even if they don't specifically mention worry, this tactic allows me to go back to sleep, ready for the next day.
Prayer: Thank You, heavenly Father for teaching us about sabotage. Help us to be alert and to realize we have to fight to maintain our progress in the Christian life. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Alice Burnett
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
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