Today's man is in constant danger of becoming enslaved by the very things that were suppose to make his life more convenient. Notebook computers, fax machines, pagers, and cellular phones threaten to take him hostage. No matter where he goes, his work goes with him. In truth, his time (his life) is not his own.

Even if he could break free of the ever-encroaching demands of his career, his own responsibilities are enough to occupy his every waking moment, things like volunteer work at the church and civic duties, not to mention his family responsibilities. He needs to spend quality time with his children. He needs to be both physically and emotionally present for his wife. He needs to take care of the yard and service the cars. He needs to balance the checkbook. He needs...the list seems endless.

Somewhere in his hectic schedule he must find time to build lasting friendships, time to maintain a quality devotional life, time to read for personal and spiritual development, and time to exercise. No wonder he's tempted to throw up his hands in despair! Is there a solution, a way out? I think so, but it won't be easy. Busyness is addictive and its hard to regain command of our life once we've yielded it to the expectations of others. The key is control. Are we going to be governed by external pressures the desires of others or will we allow the internal witness of the Holy Spirit to set our agendas?