Note to self : Stay Focused!

Life is full of distractions! Most of us are distracted several times, if not dozens of times, every day. As for me, I work in a distracting work environment and where I work, I am constantly faced with a number of distractions, (i.e., co-workers, clients, e-mails, phone calls, etc.) and with that being said, staying focused can be tough. As we all know, distractions are just part of life, but from a biblical perspective, a distraction would be anything that draws your attention away from God, His Word, and His plan and purpose for your life. 

I myself, become distracted in so many other ways all too often. Even in opening my computer to write this, I found myself clicking on something else. But, if I really want to be distracted, all I have to do is turn on my phone. While God has been trying to help me recognize and understand the distractions in my life, my biggest distraction was Facebook... and after realizing how much of a distraction it had become to me and my focus on God, I decided to deactivate my account temporarily. Other things like the TV, internet, social media, cell phones, etc. can also be distractions. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with any of those things, but when they become a distraction from God, that's the point it is detrimental...and Satan’s desire, more than ever, is to distract us from God, His word, and His plan and purpose for our lives.

1 Corinthians 7:35 says,  “And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.”

Let's look at Nehemiah 6:1-3...¹ Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) ² That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. ³ And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
 
As you can see, Satan tried to distract Nehemiah from the work of God, but he doesn't allow himself to be distracted by Satan's tactics. In the text, Nehemiah responded, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”... That said, Nehemiah refused to be distracted! Nehemiah understood his mission and was committed to keep focused on his mission. 

In closing, God has something for all us to do, but we must not get distracted. We must STAY FOCUSED ON GOD! Now while some people are diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD), a case could be made that we also have at least some form of spiritual attention deficit disorder too. However, it's important to note that life will distract you, but you don't have to stay distracted. Proverbs 4:25-27 says, "Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” As you see, this proverb is all about FOCUS. This encourages us to stay on the course, fix on what's important. 

STAY FOCUSED ON GOD!