Avoiding Distractions

Do you remember the last time you tried to stay focused on a task and was constantly distracted by something happening around you? For some of us, it has happened so many times that it has become our normal. Sometimes we become so distracted that we end up not doing what we wanted or started to do. We have the best of intentions but we veer off course. We are drawn away from what is important by other things that get our attention.

I thought about the power of distraction as I reflected on the words of the great British politician Sir. Winston Churchill, "You'll never reach your destination if you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks." Sir Winston has been dead since 1965 but those words continue to ring true. If we are going to complete whatever task or mission we started, we must learn to effectively deal with what is happening around us. We must develop the habit of staying focused, of keeping our eyes fixed on our goal despite the "noise." The noise could be anything. Emails that come in when we are in the midst of something important, people trying to get our attention for whatever reasons, something someone said about us, unfinished chores, and the list goes on. For each person, they are different but they are all the same. Distractions that, if we are not careful, will cause us to fall short of what we want to accomplish.

As it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual. Satan is very aware of that and he challenges the child of God in the same way. As we try to live our lives as God intended, Satan throws all kinds of distractions along our way. Some may seem to our advantage and may prove hard to resist. However, it is worth remembering that Satan gives us nothing for free. At the end of the day, his plan is for us to fail. Regardless of what he whispers, ultimately he comes only to steal, to kill, and to destroy. If the believer is not spiritually disciplined and in tune with the leading of the Holy Spirit, he or she will become Satan's victim; another notch on his belt.

 It is no wonder the apostle Paul writes, "I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us" (Philippians 3:14, The Message). That message to the church in Philippi is still relevant for us today. Keep focused on the goal; avoid the distractions. Through the power of the resurrected Christ we can experience victory; we can get to our God-ordained destination. How are you doing in that area?