Agendas…

We all have to do lists, schedules, calendars, and agendas of our own.  How are yours working out for you?  Are you exhausted?  I am.  Today is the first day of summer and my routine is being turned upside down.  The kids will be home every day for a few months, and I still have college courses and writing to do.

So just like every summer, I made a schedule for us.  However, last night I made sure they knew we wouldn’t be starting it until Monday.  I was so excited because it was the first day of sleeping in, not having to get them ready to go, or making sure they didn’t wake their little sister.  I reasoned that I would be able to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

Not Quite…

Then I was awakened early this morning!  Not by a child, or a clock I set, but by a chirping smoke alarm at 8am.  Arggghhhh, to say the least.  Now I was mad.  I mean livid!

I don’t fall asleep easily.  I take supplements at night just so I can get to sleep.  Then when I am awakened, I have a seriously hard time getting back to sleep.  I am fighting off a cold due to allergies and so I had an even harder time getting to sleep last night.  Now I was awake on the day I was supposed to be catching extra Z’s.  You can understand my frustration.

I removed the battery from the chirping smoke alarm, and went back to bed.  I felt like I could fall asleep, and just when I was about to drift off my ten-year old came in and began a conversation.  Argggghhhh!  It had woken her up too.  I told her I was trying to go back to sleep.  She left, and as I was drifting off, my nine-year old came in the room.  So I told her, “It is not time for me to get up yet, y’all please be quiet, and don’t wake your sister.”  So she left as well, five minutes later and I hear their little sister, “Mommy, the sisters are fighting on my bed, and I am trying to sleep.”

Now I had to get up and run to the room to take care of that situation.  Seriously?  I have so much to get done, I need rest, and they are going to fight at 8:30 in the morning.  Over what exactly?  I made everyone go to their own room and went to mine totally frustrated.  So I began to pray.  Suddenly I was interrupted by the ten-year old’s voice.  Okay, now I can’t even pray?

Surrender…

So I gave up, and I gave in to getting up.  But, now I am exhausted and frustrated even more because I couldn’t even pray.  So what does a person do?  Well, I instructed them to get busy with tasks of their own, and I sat down to watch a sermon on TV.

The first thing I heard was, “We are being slaughtered all the day long.  You are up under attack.  The battle has moved from the physical realm into the spiritual realm.”  The preacher went on to say that the battle we are fighting is a constant battle of spiritual terrorism. We are responsible for getting in on the plan of God, and awakening to the battle.

Now I know that the enemy loves to attack when we are tired, frustrated, and we have an agenda that involves pursuing the things of God.  He will even use your children (family) by frustrating them, or to frustrate you.  So I said a prayer of surrender.

“Lord, I have a lot of things to do, and I am so exhausted.  Please help me get the things I need to get done today accomplished.  I can’t do it without you.  If you have another agenda today I surrender to it.  Forgive me for taking out my frustration on my kids.  Help me to fight spiritually so I can accomplish your purposes for today.  In Jesus name, Amen.”

Sometimes we really just need to surrender the plans we have, and take up the agenda that God has for us.  That may mean focus on being built up by the Word of God, prayer, and praise that prepares us for battle.  This helps us remember the battle is not against flesh and blood, but the enemy of our souls. The time that we devote to reading the Bible, prayer, and praise has to be intentional and protected.  Everything is going to come against you to keep you from winning the battle.

Be encouraged…

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[f] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 NIV

We never waste time in God’s Word, in prayer, or in praise at the feet of Jesus. Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus and what she learned there could not be taken away from her.

I am starting a series on Spiritual Warfare.  Spiritual battle is more real than we think.  What is out of sight can often be out of mind.  However, the enemy is definitely warring against our souls.  The soul is the heart, mind, will, and emotions.  Join me in preparation for battle. As we rely on the work our Savior has done in winning the victory.

Until then meditate on this verse:

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  Romans 12:2 NKJV

Meditation is easy. If you can worry then you can meditate.  You don’t have to think any thought that pops into your head. Instead of rolling your worries over and over in your mind, you roll the Word of God over and over in your mind.  Consider each word and its definition.  Pray for understanding and chew the words up mentally so you can digest them.  This is how we deposit new thinking in , and nourish our souls.

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