The
older I get, the worse distractions effect me, and if you’re over 50 you
probably know what I mean. Ever walk into a room and forget why? Have a
conversation with someone while going to do something and totally forget what that
something to do was? This may be OK but loosing focus on the big picture is
another story. Our flesh, and the enemy of our soul, work overtime to keep us
distracted from accomplishing all the Lord has for us.
James 1: 6 But let him
ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea
driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that
man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded
man is unstable in all his ways.
Luke 9:62 And Jesus
said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is
fit for the kingdom of God
Heb 12:1 Wherefore
seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us
lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us
run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto
Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand
of the throne of God.
3 For consider him
that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied
and faint in your minds.
Life is
so filled with distractions. It is so easy to get distracted and, especially as
we age, loose sight of what we are trying to accomplish. It’s been my
observation in life that young people often struggle to know the will of God;
they have a tendency to get desperate to know what the Lord wants them to do.
In that desperation they can loose sight of the “still Small Voice” and listen
to distracted “leadings” that put them way off course. There are extreme
examples, stories of young Christians, especially in the early days of the Pentecostal
movement in the US, doing what some zealous “prophet” instructed them to do.
Following such an unconfirmed, proud fleshy “leading,” they went to remote
places like Asia or Africa and, and stubbornly quoting Luke 9:32, died. Their
wavering was to not wait on the Lord, to not wait to hear the Still Small Voice
of the Spirit of God to their own hearts and to have confirmation from numerous
counselors. From the fruit of what happened we can surmise that they stepped
out in pride or presumption, not the faith that comes from hearing from God. Sounds
like James 1:6 coming to pass doesn’t it?
All
believers have a specific calling to some type of ministry. The old chorus
says, “If you would be great in God’s Kingdom then learn to be the servant of
all.” We see the flesh and the enemy of our soul team up to distract us from
clear leadings of Spirit of God. We take the easy, or more fun, choice of activity
or action instead of following the direction the Lord spoke to us. Many
believers have a “knowing” of the general direction the Lord has for their
lives yet get distracted and waste time with things the opposite. The most
obvious calling is when a couple have children. Their “calling” is to parent
those children. This requires structuring their lives and activities so as do
what is best for those children. The parents are entrusted, empowered and
equipped by God to provide the environment where those children are afforded
every opportunity to get to know, love and serve the Lord.
Some
are called to leadership positions. It’s easy to get distracted from such a
calling by prideful attitudes. Jesus is the example of a Servant Leader and
attempting to lead without that focus is a dangerous distraction. The Gospels
of Matthew, Mark and Luke repeat this important text:
Mark 10:42 So Jesus
called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it
over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.
43 But among you it
will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,
44 and whoever wants
to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.
If you’ve
ever been in a church where the leadership does not serve with this attitude
than you know how destructive that can be. If a pastor has lost focus to the
point he (or she) is too proud to clean the toilet there’s a problem.
Many
believers have had specific callings to various roles in the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11 And
he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers;
For
some, the process of preparation in The School of the Spirit, is short, they
start to function at early ages and are faithful all their lives. The body of
Christ is so blessed by many young, very talented and anointed musicians and
others who serve in whatever capacity they can. For most it is lengthy and
filled with life lessons.
2 Timothy 2:6 And hardworking farmers should be the first to
enjoy the fruit of their labor.
The
focus on teaching and imparting what I believe, what I went to college for, now
40+ years after graduating college, still burns in my heart. My professors,
although godless men, could see what God had put in me and told me I was born
to teach. No, I haven’t yet graduated from the School of the Spirit, that’s a
life long course of study, but it’s why I write these blogs.
Has the
Lord Jesus spoken direction into your life? To you have a general understanding
of His wonderful plan for your life? STAY FOCUSED and avoid distractions.
