Never in the history of the world has there been a time of greater distractions than we have right now. We have at our fingertips devices and apps that pour out distractions at the speed of light and all at the volume of overwhelming that can quickly suffocate us from living a full life.
You will accomplish more when you are distracted less. “I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible” (1 Corinthians 7:35 NLT).
The distractions are not all bad, but they can all be bad for us. A distraction, by definition, takes our focus off one thing and places it on another. In some cases, a distraction is necessary, but we all know too well the most of our distractions have no value in our lives.
It is not necessarily that we seek bad things but that we seek them instead of God. First things first. Your top priority determines your main focus. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God…” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV).
The Word of God says if we keep our eyes on God, then our life will be more holy. The devil knows this truth as well, and so pulls you away from God by distracting you in any way that he can. The danger of distractions is that they can stand tall between you and God.
Satan does not have to turn you from God to hinder your ministry but merely distract you. The unnecessary is the enemy of the necessary. “Keep me from looking at worthless things. Let me live by your word” (Psalm 119:37 ICB).
The Lord calls us to take care of our family, and then the devil steps in and distracts us from all that we should be doing. We claim to be too busy to do the things we should while we are consumed with all the things that don’t really matter.
The devil doesn’t have to make you do bad but only distract you from doing good. “Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right or to the left; turn your foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:25-27 NASB).
If you want to climb higher in your career, then you must release the anchors of distractions that are holding you back. It is the focused man or woman who accomplishes much. Stop wasting time that you can never recover and start committing yourself to be more focused.
Eliminate the unnecessary, and you can accomplish the impossible. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’” (Mark 9:23 NKJV).
If you want a higher faith, then you must have a consecrated life. You cannot be swimming in the distractions of this world and remain fixed on the purposes of God. Whether it’s social media, the TV, or all the other things of this world, put them down.
The more reconciled to God, the more consecrated from the world. “Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.” (Romans 12:2 TPT).
To get more important things done, you must limit the unnecessary things in your life. Put down your phone. Turn off your TV and shut down your computer. Set aside those tasks that keep you busy accomplishing so little. Now, go for a walk or take a nap and discover the freedom from worldly noise.
There is a difference between being busy and being in God’s will. “Therefore, pay careful attention to how you conduct your life — live wisely, not unwisely. Use your time well, for these are evil days. So don’t be foolish, but try to understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17 CJB).
You will get more done when you stop trying to do so much. Determine in your mind to stop spending time on those shows or those applications that consume your time but don’t produce anything of value. Take back your life so that God would then do something with it.
The devil is in the distractions. “Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you” (Proverbs 4:25 NLT).
Stop saying you don’t have time for God when you waste so much time on the useless. Determine to tithe your time to the Lord and sacrifice the things that don’t even matter. Don’t let the danger of distractions detour you from God’s plans for your destiny.
Don’t let distractions get in the way of your destiny. “For we are the product of His hand, [heaven’s poetry etched on lives,] created in the Anointed, Jesus, to accomplish the good works God arranged long ago” (Ephesians 2:10 VOICE).
Don’t just nod your head in agreement but write down those things you need to stop doing right now. Don’t laugh off the truth of the damage that distractions are having on your life. Delete some apps, cancel some subscriptions, and return to God in all His glory.
Let today be the day you let Christ rule in your life. “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NLT).
Blessings to you,
Paul Balius
Perfect timing!
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom” (Matthew 25:1).
Five virgins were wise; five other virgins were worldly. A heart-shaking cry sounded at midnight hour announcing the blazing appearance of the bold Bridegroom. All ten virgins went out to meet Him. The five wise virgins rightly understood the imperative of ever acquiring fresh oil for their lamps. However, the foolish had abandoned their life’s building project given to them by the Architect of the universe and the Author and Artist of man’s soul. They left off construction of a secret history in God – a personal history of sitting in serenity at the blessed feet of their wise and beneficent Master, gazing on His beautiful face in focused adoration, of being torched and transfigured by His transcending touch, of being enabled and empowered with holy love for His service to humankind.
They had believed their building supply of wood, hay and stubble to be sufficient and superior to His magnificent material as munificent Maker. Without an adequate supply of oil in their lamps, their spirits did not burn with the spiritual acuity to seek and to see the sanity of this supreme sight, this scintillating structure of such splendor. In their hapless hearts, they thought they could not give the kindly King of heaven the time of day. Because they were distracted by the good, they were distant from God – in their excusatory affections. Now night had fallen, and they begged the wise to give them that which no one or anything in all created order could have imparted – the secret places of His sacred Heart, a peculiar and particular quality of intimacy that they might have, with unimaginable gladness, taken as gorgeous gifts of glory for Him into the wedding feast. Instead, the door shut in their face as the five wise virgins entered their Eternal Reward.
More than activity, the Beautiful God wants affection; more than work, the Master Builder wants worship; more than ideology, the Invincible Innovator wants intimacy. Give Him this, and all else falls into the proper place in prosperous proportion. It is then not I, but Christ in me, Who builds His church, cherishing and nourishing His bride, fascinating and accelerating her heart with His Person, to seek and save the lost, that they might find their way home to heaven and be the King’s beloved bride, too.
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom” (Matthew 25:1).
Five virgins were wise; five other virgins were worldly. A heart-shaking cry sounded at midnight hour announcing the blazing appearance of the bold Bridegroom. All ten virgins went out to meet Him. The five wise virgins rightly understood the imperative of ever acquiring fresh oil for their lamps. However, the foolish had abandoned their life’s building project given to them by the Architect of the universe and the Author and Artist of man’s soul. They left off construction of a secret history in God – a personal history of sitting in serenity at the blessed feet of their wise and beneficent Master, gazing on His beautiful face in focused adoration, of being torched and transfigured by His transcending touch, of being enabled and empowered with holy love for His service to humankind.
They had believed their building supply of wood, hay and stubble to be sufficient and superior to His magnificent material as munificent Maker. Without an adequate supply of oil in their lamps, their spirits did not burn with the spiritual acuity to seek and to see the sanity of this supreme sight, this scintillating structure of such splendour. In their hapless hearts, they thought they could not give the kindly King of heaven the time of day. Because they were distracted by the good, they were distant from God – in their excusatory affections. Now night had fallen, and they begged the wise to give them that which no one or anything in all created order could have imparted – the secret places of His sacred Heart, a peculiar and particular quality of intimacy that they might have, with unimaginable gladness, taken as gorgeous gifts of glory for Him into the wedding feast. Instead, the door shut in their face as the five wise virgins entered their Eternal Reward.
More than activity, the Beautiful God wants affection; more than work, the Master Builder wants worship; more than ideology, the Invincible Innovator wants intimacy. Give Him this, and all else falls into the proper place in prosperous proportion. It is then not I, but Christ in me, Who builds His church, cherishing and nourishing His bride, fascinating and accelerating her heart with His Person, to seek and save the lost, that they might find their way home to heaven and be the King’s beloved bride, too.
I apologize for the duplicate post.
No problem!