DO ING or BE ING ?

There's an attitude, or rather a 'religious trap' that I've encountered along the way, that affected me big time.
It's the emphasis on DO ing, rather that BE ing
It's encouraged by many religious ministries, and goes something like this �
“Where are your priorities ? Gods business should / must come first”
“Better to burn out than to rust out “
“Why should anyone hear the Gospel twice, before everyone has heard it once”
“Jesus said GO , PREACH, TEACH and MAKE” Mark 16:15 Matthew 28:19
OK, OK, yes, he did say this, but the question then arises.....
In whose strength ? Our own ? or in His ?

And so the emphasis can unduly shift to WORKS
Tell me about it !
For many years, even several decades, Sunday was the busiest day of our week �.. . travelling, transporting, attending 3 services plus 2 prayer meetings, arranging, organising, involvement, counselling �.
Sure � we were ministering, giving out, sharing, with many measures of blessing, but a lot of just religious activity mixed up with it also !
Much of our activity was simply to extend one mans 'religious kingdom', instead of Gods Kingdom.
Muddy waters indeed !
(And a word about 'counselling' � someone said “ you cannot help people by doing for them what they can and should be doing for themselves” �. how wise !)
And so is the religious scene everywhere �. muddy waters �. mans kingdom mixed up with HIS Kingdom � religious activity, activity, activity.
Not always WITH Him, or BY Him �.... just for him
Works before FRUIT

These well known and used verses Matthew 11:28-30
That are often quoted for a salvation appeal, but they are for Christian workers more so !
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Then I heard some one comment about this verse �. His yoke is easy, His burden is light. He said that if you aren't finding it easy and light, if you are burdened, if you are tired and wearing out, guess who loaded you so ? For it wasn't HIM
WOW That simple comment was like a revelation to me !
Guess who loaded you so ? For it wasn't HIM
It caused me to look hard at my attitude, so much of which had been influenced by religiosity and the 8,000 sermons I reckoned that I had heard over the years
DO ing instead of BE ing !

These verses in the AmpNT are most revealing

Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]
Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.
For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good - not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.
Rest, relief, refreshing, quiet, still waters �.. WOW

But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8
Someone commented on this verse �...
BE witnesses, not DO witnessing �. there's a vast difference!
So, witnessing is something you ARE, not something you DO

WOW again !

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about with much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dont you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, you are careful (full of care) and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
I was definitely a Martha by nature, and not so much a Mary !

And so my attitude changed markedly �. the religious stress replaced by HIS peace and rest, my self effort was being replaced by HIS work through me
The exchanged life that I had heard about from so many godly men and women's experience

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2;20

His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.
What a difference it makes �. and the results �.. the fruit that appears of itself

JOY unspeakable also

and then there's this interesting article that I came across

BUSY ..... B U S Y

Addressing a worldwide convention of demons, Satan told them:
“As long as Christians stay close to God we've no power over them”
so be sure to �.....
1 Keep them busy with non-essentials.
2 Tempt them to overspend and go into debt.
3 Make them work long hours to maintain empty lifestyles.
4 Discourage them from spending family time, for when homes disintegrate there's no refuge from work.
5 Overstimulate their minds with television and computers so that they can't hear God speaking to them.
6 Fill their coffee tables and nightstands with newspapers and magazines so they've no time for Bible reading.
7 Flood their letter boxes with sweepstakes, promotions and get-rich-quick schemes; keep them chasing material things.
8 Put glamorous models on TV and on magazine covers to keep them focused on outward appearances; that way they'll be dissatisfied with themselves and their mates.
9 Make sure couples are too exhausted for physical intimacy; that way they'll be tempted to look elsewhere.
10 Emphasise Santa and the Easter Bunny; that way you'll divert them from the real meaning of the holidays.
11 Involve them in 'good' causes so they won't have any time for 'eternal' ones.
12 Make them self-sufficient. Keep them so busy working in their own strength that they'll never know the joy of God's power working through them.
Do these twelve things faithfully. I promise �. it will work !

Have you figured out the difference between being busy and being successful in what God's called you to do ?
Sometimes being B-U-S-Y just means Being Under Satan's Yoke !