The Negative Power of Distractions And How To Overcome
We don’t always realize the Negative Power of Distractions, and don’t know how to overcome. Let’s call it spiritual warfare, so we can focus on the Main Battle we must win.
Do we know why we often feel anxious
or sad
or vaguely uneasy?
Worse yet, do these feelings become our normal and we don’t even question them?
We chalk it up to the difficulties of life, roll on some Stress-Away essential oil, and soldier on.
Yes, we are meant to warrior on, but not on our own power.
We can’t win this spiritual warfare without the proper armor.
A Committed Christian’s Greatest Enemy
Would it surprise you to learn that a committed Christian’s greatest enemy is distraction?
We’ve been going to Church four evenings now, listening to special sermons from evangelists who are helping us re-focus and re-center our spiritual lives. We call them revival meetings. We are taking time out from our usual activities to revive our spirits and deepen our soul’s connection with God.
One evening, the minister explained distractions, and it was an eye-opener for me.
A surprisingly blessed eye-opener, because who knew these little, gnawing annoyances that keep us from feeling deep contentment and genuine joy and encompassing peace is Satan’s tool to accomplish just that?
The evil one doesn’t care if we claim to be Christians. He doesn’t mind if we have some joy and a measure of peace. If he can insert just a little pebble or some ridiculous shiny object in our path, so long as he can get us to focus on something besides our Main Goal, he’s gained something. As long as we step just a little to the side to make room for his ideas in our space, he gains a little victory.
And of course, his hope is that these pebbles and shiny objects will begin to consume us more and more, until we have no room for thinking things that are honest, pure, or lovely.
Can we overcome Negative Powers of Distractions?
Our spiritual enemy wants us to feel God is no longer on our side.
He wants us to feel deserted by fellow soldiers, encompassed by enemies on every side, with no way of escape.
But here’s the thing. Those feelings are distraction.
Because time and time again God has shown us through the experiences of those who’ve fought this battle before us,
the victories He has given to His people over and over,
victories recorded right there is His Word
that He will never leave us to battle alone.
“Fear not, for they that are with us are more than they that are with them.”
Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord, so we can see the horses and chariots all around us.
There is HOPE.
What are the Negative Powers of Distractions?
Narrowed down, so we understand the things that so easily beset us,
here’s a list to check off to keep our distractions in check.
Problems:
Satan tries to use any and every difficulty as a distraction.
Too tired to go to the House of Worship? Too busy to fellowship with the saints? Sticky setbacks in business, sour situations in the workplace, or just plain apathy can bring on enough problems to fill and overflow the year’s template on trouble.
Don’t assume all problems are meant as a spiritual awakening. Because even if we are close to God, right where we should be, we’ll still have problems. That’s real life. But do ask yourself, “Is this just life, or am I meant to learn something from this?”
Pride:
Am I holding back on God? Too proud to confess the things I know to be wrong in my life? Unwilling to step down and acknowledge that I have stepped off the path to my Main Goal?
More often than not, we use shiny objects to distract us from humbling ourselves before God, and run with patience. Pride compels us to run ahead of God, desire more than we have, acquire accoutrements God never intended for us.
Slow down.
Confess that pride, and wait for God to power His race, not the rat race.
Purpose:
Our lives have purpose: we do many good deeds and live selflessly for others.
We care responsibly for our families and sacrifice much of our own time for the happiness of friends and family.
So why do we feel confused and disappointed and unfulfilled?
Do we know if the purpose we’re pursuing is God’s plan for us? He has the best plan for each of us, we know and trust that. Making that casserole for the grieving family was surely His plan. Giving up Friday date night with my husband to settle the grown children’s squabble was surely also His plan. Or was it?
How to win over the Negative Power of Distractions.
There is no quick and easy cure for recognizing distractions.
But God is faithful. He won’t leave us mired in the muddy path of confusion.
For every distraction, He has a way of escape.
How? Try any/all of these three p’s, the complete opposite of the above 3 p’s:
Prayer
Ask God continually to help you remain focused on His Way and His Plan for your life.
Prevention
Actively prevent distractions from keeping God’s goal for your life front and center.
A daily list could help you discern, with prayer and meditation, which goals are from God and which are your own ideas.
Review your personal mission statement once again.
Read the words from devotional books such as these, weigh their wisdom through the lens of God and accept what is for you.
Pursue The Word
God’s Word will never fail us; pursue and peruse it diligently, every day. Find reminders in every good thing you see, read, hear. Use your five senses to embrace every Word and Idea that is from the One Who keeps our eyes and heart open and centered.
Let God help you confront
the Negative Power of Distractions.
If you have any thoughts on this from your own battle against distractions, please share in the comments.
I haven’t done justice to the wisdom of our evangelist’s words; I wish I could actually remember his points. However, I didn’t take notes, so this writing relies on prayer and the words God gave me.
Do these words raise any memories or experiences in your life?
