What Distracts You or Knocks You Off Track?
I watch a lot of sports, and that means I'm watching golf and football. Year ago, I watched our Web.com Tour Championship here in Jacksonville. I watched a lot of young men fulfill their dream of becoming a PGA TOUR Professional. It was amazing to see the raw emotion of these men fulfilling a lifelong dream.On the other side of this, there were many who were not able to fulfill their dream and missed an opportunity. This doesn't mean they won't ever get that chance. But, being so close and not getting it also forces out emotions you may or may not have known you had inside of you.
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Coming down the stretch, there are a lot of things that can distract you or knock you off your path for success. One missed shot, one lapse of focus, even allowing weather to affect your play. Many of these men were well on their way to accomplishing their goal. But they allowed one mistake to compound into others and ultimately make them miss the mark.
I think about this in terms of our lives. There are many times that we are doing remarkable things, or on track to do remarkable things, but we allow something to distract us...
Quick real time-example of this. As I was writing that last sentence, and in the middle of this post, I thought "my laundry just finished. " Then I got up (mid-sentence), and got my laundry out. Not proud of that moment. But my ADD takes over sometimes and distracts me in the middle of something that should have taken priority.Question: How many times have you allowed something that didn't really matter affect how you do something that matters much more?I am confident that this is one of the Enemy's most powerful tactics. He doesn't put things in front of us that look obviously horrible. He distracts us with things that he knows will knock us off target or frustrate us enough to where it affects our performance in what God has called us to.Distractions come in many forms and are unique to each of us. Satan knows exactly what the best way to distract / frustrate / stress us to a point of hurting where God has us.The best athletes, business people, and leaders in the world have a unique ability to quickly look at a distraction and determine if it is helpful or hurtful to their purpose/goal. That ability keeps them on track, while others in-ability to do so makes them think nothing ever goes right for them.It's not that nothing goes right, it's just that you may take more detours than others, because Satan knows that how he keeps you away from Gods plan.
Challenge: Pause for a second when something appears as a distraction, or a stressful situation, and thing (out-loud if you must), "How does this affect my goal?"
The ability to do this will drastically change how you perform and stay on track with where God has you!Peter did this while trying to walk on water...In Matthew 14:28-31 Peter answered him, “Lord, if it’s you, order me to come to you on the water.” Jesus said, “Come on!” So, Peter got down out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came to Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he was frightened. As he began to sink, he shouted, “Lord, save me!” At once Jesus reached out his hand, caught him, and asked him, “You who have so little faith, why did you doubt?”So, then, be careful how you live. Do not be unwise but wise, making the best use of your time because the times are evil. - Ephesians 5:15-16But all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. - Mark 4:19I 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