Barriers To Intimacy

Before salvation, Satan tells us we're just fine. We don't need a savior. But after we're saved, the Accuser points his bony finger at us and tells us we're no good. We don't deserve a savior. He's lying, of course. Jesus says so in John 8:44. Satan is "the father of lies." In fact, lying is what he does best-it's "his native language." Satan usually doesn't try to make us swallow a blatant lie-he's too smart for that. Instead, he just doctors the truth for his own purpose, which is to keep us as far away from God as possible. He twists the truth of sin into a bludgeon of guilt and shame and beats us with it. Perhaps you've never experienced the lonely alienation of such doubt and guilt. But beware! Satan can use other circumstances just as effectively to keep you from drawing close to God. Take busyness, for example. I wonder if God understands when we're too busy to attend to his presence in our lives. Or too tired. Make no mistake. Satan enjoys using our hectic schedules, stressed bodies, and emotional upsets in his efforts to put up barriers to our intimacy with God. That's why we need to take a close look at any thought, feeling, or activity that diminishes our appetite for intimacy with God. (From: "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World")

God Bless!