Last time we visited we talked about distractions. We saw that we don’t have to sin to miss the mark or miss our purpose. All it takes is to be distracted. This time we want to look at how we can overcome those distractions in our life.
Last week in Cambodia with our team I had the privilege to sit with our men on the squad and talk about success. We share a very open friendship with each other of trust and that gives me the opportunity to sit with them and ask some personal questions. On one of the questions the answer that I got showed me that they all struggle to keep their heads in the game. Whenever something doesn’t work the way they expected they loose focus and stop doing what they were there for in the first place. This was a great opportunity to talk to them about distractions and how we can overcome it.
The first way I think we can overcome distractions is to be intentional. Jesus was very intentional. He came with a mission and everything He said and did was geared towards fulfilling that mission. He did not allow anything to distract Him from that. One time He shared with His disciples about Him coming to give His life as a ransom for many. Peter rebuked Him and said that it would not happen. I love Jesus’ response to Peter. He didn’t say: “Now Peter you don’t understand so let me explain something to you.” No, Jesus said: “Get thee behind me satan.” Jesus didn’t play with words when it came to something wanting to distract Him from his purpose. He was very direct and purposeful in confronting distractions. Jesus also recognized where this distraction was coming from. Anytime you are distracted from your God given purpose you need to recognize the source of that distraction. Look at what Jesus declares!
Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
A few times they asked Jesus to do a miracle to proof He is the Son of God. This too was a distraction from His purpose. Remember how Jesus asked the disciples who they thought He was? Peter said: “You are the Christ the son of God.” Jesus replied that flesh and blood did not reveal it to him but God who is in heaven. Jesus did not come to reveal Himself but the Father. In turn the Father revealed the Son. If He did a miracle their revelation about Him would come from Him and not God. To do a miracle to proof whom He was, was a distraction. Jesus was intentional not to do what they asked. Remember the first thing satan asked Him to do? If you are the son of God make these stones bread. Jesus had the power to do it but if you saw Him you needed to see the Father. That was His purpose.
John 9:1-3 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
He came to glorify the Father. He is intentional here with His answer. Everything He encountered is subject to His mission. Sin is not a problem it is a way to reveal His purpose. Sickness is not a problem but a way to reveal His purpose. He is not looking for excuses but for solutions so that the sickness can add to why He came. Imagine if we begin to look at things this way. Imagine what will happen when we become this intentional about our call and purpose?
Paul was intentional about his purpose. Why did he preach? What did he preach? He was intentional with his message. He was determined to fulfill his purpose.
1 Cor 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
1 Cor 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
The second thing I see that will help eliminate distractions in your life is determination. Determination is the word that defines the goal while intention is the action you take to get to the goal. Most of us struggle because we have not determined what we are here for. I like what Joshua says after God raised him up as leader over Israel. “Me and my house we will serve the Lord.” That defined his purpose and it was easier then to be intentional about the way he wanted to see that happen.
I believe that if we start with these two things we will experience much more than we have right now. We have to find a way to counter the distractions coming to us. When I am having my quiet time with God I do not answer the phone. I am intentional about my time with God. When I get home I don’t bring the office with me because I am intentional about spending time with my family. When I am traveling and ministering I don’t watch TV in the hotel room because I am intentional about protecting what my eyes see while I am there representing the Kingdom. When I give I give I give abundantly because I am intentional in blessing people.
This affects every area of our lives. The more intentional and determined we get the less power distractions have in our lives. When we are intentional about following and serving God sin looses its power to distract us!
