Living in Balance Closes a Door to the Enemy

Have you ever heard the saying “Less is more”? I believe it’s true, especially when it comes to the way we live our daily lives.

In our western culture, it’s very common and popular to be in a rush and be busy all the time. It’s all about getting more, more, more. We seem to feel we’re special or important when life is like this. I can relate to that. I used to feel driven to work all the time because I got my worth and value from what I did. But I learned that all of my busyness wasn’t really accomplishing what was most important anyway.

I remember years ago how this affected my life at home. My day would go something like this: I’d start to make the bed and then the phone would ring. I’d go answer it and notice the dishes needed to be done, so I’d start to load the dishwasher. In the middle of this, I’d remember that the meat needed to defrost for dinner, so I’d go downstairs to the freezer to get the meat out. When I came back upstairs, I’d see the mail on the table and remember I needed to go to the post office, so I’d leave and do that. When I came home, the bed was half made, the dishes were half done, and I felt rushed and frazzled. I didn’t enjoy my day either. Everything felt like pressure and stress, and I had a hard time concentrating on anything. I needed to slow down!

To help me overcome this lifestyle, God revealed a powerful scripture to me that really helped. First Peter 5:8 (AMP) says, “Be well balanced….” It helped me see that I was out of balance in areas of my life, and too much of anything can be destructive. I like to say it this way: Excess is the devil’s playground.

First Peter 5:8 goes on to say we must “be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around…seeking someone to seize upon and devour.” One way we can be vigilant and cautious is by taking time to examine our lives and determine if there are areas where we are out of balance. If there are, it creates an open door for the enemy to come into your life. You may be okay with it for a while, but if you continue, it will catch up with you.