Spot Cleaning

Rom.5:⁵ “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us…” [with emphasis]

It is so important for us to completely eradicate distractions because of what is at stake in our lives. The first type of distraction we must deal with is the “Harmless” Distraction. A young man came to Jesus and said he wanted to follow Jesus. Jesus said fine and the young man asked for permission to go and kiss his parents goodbye. Luke 9:⁶² “But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” [with emphasis]. One would think that was a rather harsh thing for Jesus to say considering the fact that the man opted to follow Jesus of his own volition.

Why then would Jesus say, anyone that lays his hand on a plow and looks back is unfit? It is because that is the power of distraction. When you look back while plowing, even though your hands are still on the plow, what path of the plow would no longer be straight. Paul gave Timothy this charge, in 2 Tim.2:⁴ “No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer” [NIV, with emphasis]. So, while somethings appear harmless, you have no business with them because you are a soldier. The question is, do you consider yourself to be a soldier for Christ? I pray you will join the force today in Jesus Name.

Soldiers are trained to survive in any condition. Civilian affairs are a distraction to the soldier. The challenge is, the question on people’s minds most times is, “Is this thing wrong, is it a sin?” Whether it is a sin or not is not the issue. The question is, is it for soldiers? The issue is not whether it is wrong or right, but is it fitting for your destiny? Is it aligned with your consecration?  Get rid of harmless distractions.

The second type of distraction you need to eradicate is Deep-Seated Sorrow. This can be a big distraction because when people allow themselves to soak in this emotion, it distracts them completely from the fight. Deep seated sorrow distracts us from what God wants from us. Everyone that will live on earth will go through stuff.  When you allow what you are going through to drown you, you open yourself up for major internal distraction. Pro.13:¹² “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.” God’s Word acknowledges that hope delayed challenges the heart. But you need to believe in God’s love for you. It is being secure, having your security in God’s love that makes surviving seasons like that possible.

Prayer:  Father, my security is in Your love for me, not my love for You, in Jesus Name. Amen!