Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Beware the Distractions

Proverbs 4:25-26:
25Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you. 26Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright.


If indeed you are attending to those things the Lord has purposed for your life, you can be sure that distraction will come – may I go even further to say, that distraction will be “sent.”  A distraction will not necessarily cancel or stop you from reaching your destined place, from reaching a goal you have set for yourself.  However, it does have the capacity to slow you down, to create stress or excess pressure, and to disrupt your thinking.

Distractions come clothed in many ways, and carried in many vessels.  When we tend to distractions, they can leave us feeling drained and weakened.  When we completely ignore them, they can leave us with feelings of guilt and condemnation. Distractions wreak havoc on our Emotions.

So, exactly how do we deal with a distraction?  First, we must recognize when something has been sent as a distraction.  This knowledge comes through Prayer, and Discernment.  We should also look at familiar patterns and occurrences, and we should know ourselves well enough to know our own areas of weakness.  We should know the areas where the enemy tends to launch his attacks.  Often, these areas are the same areas as our gifting. 

Secondly, we must know the difference between Urgent and Important.  Urgent is defined as “compelling or requiring immediate action or attention; imperative; pressing.”  Important is defined as “entitled to more than ordinary consideration or notice.”  Distractions will often come with Urgent – attached.  Taking time to Pray, and consider the situation is imperative.  We should ask God, who else might help, or even attend to what is occurring?  This is a time to add God’s Super, to your Natural.  If this is sent as a distraction, then this is warfare, and the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,… 2 Corinthians 10:4.  Weapons of our warfare include “Binding” (or fastening) some things up.  Why do we wait before we engage the enemy in this way…  I’ll pause here, cause that topic is another message within itself:)

Thirdly, we must develop the habit of setting priorities in our lives, and realize there are times that we will need to measure the importance of the “event” against our personal priorities.  Now I want to be clear, I’m talking about priorities that have been established in Wisdom, and according to God’s will for your life.  That is important to note, because His plans for our life will not include selfish or self-centered acts.

Fourth, as we engage situations to support or meet a need, we must be aware of what our part is, and what God’s part is.  When a distraction is “sent” look for it to be a situation in which we are tempted to take on a “God Posture.”  Notice I did not say a Godly, or God like posture, but I said a God Posture.  In other words, we try to play God in a situation, and usually end up being more of an enabler, than a Blessing from the Lord.

Last, but definitely not least – we cannot forget how POWERFUL and NEEDFUL Prayer is.  Many of these distracting situations that we think require our physical time and other resources could benefit more from our Prayer time.  At the very least, as I mentioned above, we must be sure to pray “first.”  Prayer helps us to stay on track.  Prayer brings us to one accord with the Father and His will for us in the particular situation as well as our lives in general.  Then, as we intercede for others, we engage the supernatural Power of God to move on their behalf.  We might find that solutions are already in place if we took a moment to Pray about a situation, before we jump right in to act on it! 

Because many distractions are often carried in the vessels of family and friends, and clothed in a genuine need, Wisdom and Divine Direction must be at the forefront of our actions.  We must be in a place spiritually, where we can overrule our emotions when necessary, and we must never let our emotions be our barometer.

As I end, I want to be sure and emphasize that YES!  We all have things in life that happen, things that are Urgent and Important that we will have to tend to.  However through Prayer, with Wisdom and Discernment we can keep our eyes fixed on the path the God has laid before us, move in His timing, and minimize delay, as we press toward the mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14)
Copyright 2011 - Victoria L. Burse 

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