Time Thieves

I heard pastor Levi Lusko say in a sermon:  "If the devil can't kill you, he will settle for your potential."  This is true.  Satan is not able to overpower God, nor is he able to destroy the souls of those purchased by Christ as His prized eternal possession.  Since the devil does not own us, God has set limits on what he can do.  But if we willingly yield to satanic suggestions - allowing him footholds in our lives through sin, disobedience, or distractions - we can become mired in sin and powerless to extricate ourselves.  It is not that we are without power through Christ, but we can be clueless of our true condition.  Coddled by a belief system, we can turn a blind eye to our lack of victory, power, and holiness.  We only admit being distracted when we realise we have embraced a substitute for what we truly ought to be doing.

As I preached last Sunday at Calvary Chapel Sydney on the second half of 1 Corinthians 7, the LORD gave me fresh insight on the power distractions can have in our lives.  The analogy He showed me was the picture of how I worked to distract my kids when they were little.  Mum needed a break, so I would spend an hour or two playing games, reading books, throwing and catching, or building with blocks.  My job was to keep the boys occupied with activities so Laura could have some much needed and deserved rest after a long day.  There were some days I had things I needed to accomplish, so turning on the TV helped me happily occupy my little couch potatoes.

It occurred to me that when a man is born again, Satan seeks to occupy our minds and turn our affections towards things of the world.  If he can no longer control us, the devil will settle for distracting us.  If the devil is successful in distracting us, he can accomplish more of his work!  A distracted person always fails to operate at full potential.  Distraction causes us to lose focus on the important matter at hand.  A distracted driver is a dangerous driver.  It is impossible for us to process too many things simultaneously.  If the TV, a book, or our phones have our attention, we will not listen well when someone is speaking to us.  The devil knows this too.  Therefore he labours to encumber and inundate us with distractions to keep us from the purpose God has for each one of us.  He cannot kill us, but if he can distract us he can prevent God using us for His glory.

Now I have heard people refer to common distractions - television, mobile phones, social media, the internet, career pursuits, sports - as "thieves" which rob us of time with God and rob Him of glory.  But I am convinced this is an incorrect view.  Inanimate objects, things, and activities do not possess the ability to steal anything.  No one blames a car for stealing itself, and the TV does not magically turn on without help.  Stealing only can occur by direct actions of a living person or being.  Jesus contrasted Himself with the devil in John 10:10:  "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."  Satan, being a living spirit, is capable of stealing things.  Unlike objects or activities, he has the ability to exercise his will to commit sin and steal.  So these distractions, these "time and affection thieves," as we might call them, have been conveniently used as a cover up for the real criminals:  you and me!

We are the thieves!  The issue is one of the heart.  God has richly given us everything for our enjoyment.  Our tendency is to become self-centred and self-absorbed with the gifts rather than delighting ourselves in the Giver.  Being distracted is a choice we make, which ultimately becomes a habit.  We then become complacent, having an uncritical satisfaction with ourselves concerning our lifestyle, ways of thinking, and actions.  When we allow ourselves to be undisciplined and distracted, we choose to rob God of His time and glory.  We likely do not frame it with malicious intent, but robbing God of His time is the end result.  Some people are very protective of their "time."  Us Christians who have been bought with a price have given God ownership of our lives.  Our souls have become God's possessions, our bodies are also God's, and "our" time left on the earth has become - you guessed it - God's time!  Satan delights to distract men to waste God's time and sap our potential God has graciously given.

Once we realise it is not the phone, nor the internet, our hobbies, or the TV that are thieves but we are actually to blame, the first steps can be taken back to God through confession and repentance.  As you seek the LORD in humility and submission, examine your use of time throughout the day.  Analyse when and how you become distracted.  But I caution you not to fall into the trap of simply eliminating things from your life without intentionally replacing them with spiritual disciplines.  Throwing out the TV doesn't begin to touch the areas in your heart which caused TV to distract you from God's purposes and directives.  Deleting that app will not change the way you think or renew you in the spirit of your mind.  That is why we ultimately fit another distraction into the empty slot.  We need to take to heart and put into practice Ephesians 4:22-24:  "That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."

Our walk with Jesus is not aimless or random, but intentionally cooperating with God according to His Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Satan is a thief, but he delights in others doing his dirty work:  who better than God's own children?  A distraction enjoyed becomes a temptation leading to bondage and separation from God.  If we are stealing time from God throughout the day, we will become increasingly distant from Him.  Distractions keep us from hearing the LORD or even noticing He has spoken.  We cannot blame the devil, anyone, or anything for our failings.  Let us own them, admit our guilt, and follow God's plan so we might know Christ and walk in the power of His resurrection!