1 Peter 5:8-9
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. -------------- As I grow closer to God my desire to get away from this world grows inside of me. I've started to see the work of the ruler of this world for what it is; yet, having this knowledge doesn't make it any easier to prevent him from weaving his way into our lives. Satan knows our God given desires for community, for comfort, and for love and has used that to shape his kingdom. He's tricked us onto his merry-go-round ride, where the more you buy in, the faster you go. And it's easy to get on, it's easy to buy in because our world, Satan's world, is telling us that this is the way it should be! He laughs as he watches us, stuck and holding onto this spinning wheel of death, unable to break free of the grip he now holds on us. I wake up my children and rush them out the door. "We're late!" I shout at them as I try to squeeze their little feet into their shoes. My patience is thin as I buckle them in their car seats. No time for questions, no time for talk. I need to get to work. I need to get to money. I drop them off with a kiss and a hug, leaving them alone for a stranger to raise. I rush down the road, hustle into the school. Because of our government testing, I teach kids what I'm told to teach; rush to teach a lot in just one short year. If they don't get it, keep pushing, keep cramming, keep trying. Hurry to Music. Hurry to Art. Silent lines of children being trained to continue the cycle of hurrying, of racing, around and around. Satan beams as he watches mothers leave their children, surrendering to the power of money and insurance. He chuckles as he watches us pressurize children so that they can grow up to live in a world full of rushing, of working, of living on his ride. Through social media he dictates our actions and how we live our lives. He has convinced so many that technology is the way to being connected and he's grown in us a longing, a desire, an addiction to always knowing what's happening with the people around us. Rather than a night of reading or playing games, a family might be seen scrolling through Facebook or playing games online. Lonely eyes, jealous eyes, lusting eyes, sad eyes stare at a tiny screen that has now taken over our minds. Satan's manipulation of what it means to be connected has now shaped our cultural norms. And since we've been on this ride since we were just children, our ride is spinning faster. The more we have, the more we crave. I see it with my 3 year old now. I give him the phone to watch a video and he always wants more. Satan convinces us that we need more, that it's the only way to function in this society. He reminds us that we won't make it without his earthly possessions in this world. He tells us we need him. We need to live this way. I don't want to be on this ride any longer. As I grow closer to God, I beg of Him to take these worldly desires away. I yearn for a life like God intended us to have... I yearn to have enough Vitamin D because I'm spending time outside in God's creation. I yearn to eat food that hasn't been contaminated with pesticides and chemicals in an effort to mass produce to make the most profit possible. Food that I've sweated and worked over in an effort to feed my family. I yearn to stay home with my babies and raise them the way I want to raise them, not the way a stranger sees fit. I don't want to be wondering what other people are doing while I'm in the presence of other people. I don't want to be forced into things by insurance premiums. I want to get off of this ride. I want to have a different life. But like I've said before, Satan's grip is strong. When I try to come up with options so that I can stay home with my children, he reminds me I cannot live safely without insurance. When I try to disconnect by getting a phone without internet access, he reminds me I need the internet for my job which is my source of money for my family. When I consider earning less money, he laughs as he reminds me that I don't have the time to grow and harvest my own food because I'm working, so that money is necessary for survival. I suppose all we can do is pray for help. Some days, like today, I'm just angry that I'm on this ride. I want to get off and I can't, and I'm mad about it. I want to be able to live as God intended us to live, but Satan is holding me down firmly and I just can't get away. And that will remain true as long as I believe it and as long as I hear it. John 8:44-47 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."
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Sadie JensenI'm a follower of Christ seeking to know Him and live like Him. If you'd like to learn more, read my blog post about my faith journey here. Archives
November 2018
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