The Root of the Problem (Part 12): Not Filling Our Lives With Good Things

The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome

Something that we all have in common is that we each have the same number of hours in a day. While we often think that we do not have as much time as others, the reality is that we have chosen to fill our lives with those things which take up our time – either as specific activities or as consequences to other choices we have made.

It is important that we fill our lives and our time with appropriate and wholesome exercises and events. Satan takes advantage when we leave room for sin by not filling our lives with good things.

Jesus warns that an idle mind leads to one becoming captive in sin.

Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.” (Matthew 12:43-45).

We may not have evil spirits working in the same way today as they were when Jesus was on the earth. Demon possession is not a concern today. But the principle behind Jesus’ words still holds true. If we eliminate a certain sin from our life but fail to take our time, energy, thoughts, and resources that were previously used for this sin and redirect them to something wholesome and good, we run the risk of going back into sin, even plunging further into it than before.

Idle lives inevitably lead to sin. In giving Timothy instructions about the care of certain widows, Paul warns against encouraging idleness because of where it would lead.

At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention. Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach” (1 Timothy 5:13-14).

We are familiar with David’s notorious sin with Bathsheba. He saw this woman bathing, inquired about her, invited her to him, committed adultery, and in order to cover up the pregnancy that resulted, he had her husband killed in battle and he took her as his wife. David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). How did he ever get on the path that would lead to this? Notice what the text says:

Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1).

Where should David have been? At the battlefield leading his army. This was one of the reasons why the Israelites wanted a king in the first place (1 Samuel 8:20). But where was David instead? He was at home in Jerusalem. While there, away from his duties, he had to find some way to fill his time. This opened the door to sin.

We should not give Satan an opportunity. Instead we should fill our lives with good things. What are the good things? They are the things that come from God (James 1:17). Since the “springs of life” flow from our heart (Proverbs 4:23), fill your heart and mind with the things of God. Paul told the brethren in Philippi, “whatever is true… honorable… right… pure… lovely… of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Filling Our Lives with Good

Paul says we are to be “making the most of [our] time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). Our lives should be filled with doing good. We all have the same number of hours in a day. So how will we use them?

  • Serving God: “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Romans 12:1). A “living sacrifice” is not one that involves occasional service to God but carrying out His will daily in our lives.
  • Teaching others: “Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). The Christians in Jerusalem were forced to flee to escape the persecution that had erupted in the city. Instead of keeping silent about their faith, they took advantage of opportunities they found and taught others about Christ.
  • Helping others: “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). There are people all around us who can use some type of assistance (dealing with finances, work, stress, etc.). We should look for opportunities in which we can use the time and resources we have to help.
  • Studying God’s word: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). The more we study the Bible, the better we will become at handling it. This will help us to see the right path, overcome temptation, and show the truth to others.
  • Praying to Him: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Paul is not talking about perpetual, unending prayer, but rather regular, habitual prayer. We must have a regular practice of praying to God. If one wonders how much he should pray, there is not a numeric answer that can be given. We are simply to “pray without ceasing.” We can come before God in prayer at any time and in any circumstance.
  • Providing for our families: “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). We are often quick to condemn “workaholics” – those who devote excessive amounts of time to their jobs to the neglect of their families. While we want to avoid this, we also should not throw away reasonable opportunities to provide for our own. Men particularly have the responsibility to provide for the family. It is a worthy endeavor, even if it requires more than our society’s arbitrarily chosen forty hour work week.
  • Spending time with our families: “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18). “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Spouses are to be companions to one another, which implies time spent together. The training of children requires that parents spend time with them.
  • Encouraging others: “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13). The importance of providing encouragement to others is shown in the regularity with which we are to give it. It is a daily task that must be carried out. The consequences of failing to do this are severe.

This list could be much longer. But if we just consider what is listed above, we can ask ourselves: What time do we have to spare? The items on that list are not trivial things that can be ignored if we choose to do so. Each one is important; and each one takes time, energy, and resources.

Sin also takes time, energy, and resources. How then can we justify wasting time by engaging in sin? We cannot. So we should fill our lives with good things and leave no room for evil things to creep in.

Summary

Idleness leads to sin. If you want to remove sin from your life, you need to take away your time to sin. Fill your life by doing the many things that are worthy of your time.


This material is taken from the book, The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome, published by Gospel Armory, © 2010.


.