Warning! Don’t Get Distracted

I 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

Have you ever felt like your relationship with God has been coasting along just fine and suddenly you realize you no longer feel the deep connection you previously had? This has happened to me, too! Distractions that pull you away from your faith can be hazardous.

A distraction is anything causing our focus to shift from what is most important to something less important. The most dangerous distractions are the ones causing our faith to shift. This can lead to trials, sin, missed opportunities, and missed blessings. Today we are going to look at three common distractions to our faith and learn how to overcome them. I am also going to provide you with some journaling prompts and a printable journal to help. (Click HERE to print your free journaling page)

Borrowed Identity

As a self-proclaimed people pleaser, I often try to be the person I think others want me to be. I will look at how others are doing their ministry, their marriages, or their parenting and then compare mine to theirs. I make the mistake of believing everyone else is doing a better job at life than I am.

The truth is, in most cases, I am doing just fine. Just because my life doesn’t look like my friend’s life, doesn’t mean it is better or worse, just different. The popular saying “you do you, and I’ll do me” is a good thing for me to remember.

The devil will try to devastate you with feelings of inadequacy, deficiency, and inferiority. But God’s words will confirm you as a divine and unique individual. God designed you to be, look, act, and succeed differently than anyone else. So when you compare your life to someone else and decide you are lacking, you are telling God that He made a mistake in how He made you and you want a do-over. I know, I cannot imagine telling God that either, but when I play the comparison game, I am betting against God.

One way you can avoid playing the comparison game is to take inventory of your uniqueness. Why not take a few minutes to write down the ways you are unique? Write down what you have to offer that distinguishes you from other people. If you don’t know how you are unique or how to maximize your uniqueness, ask God to show you.

Here is your first journaling prompt:

How has God made you unique, and how will you use your uniqueness to meet your goals?

{Read more: Avoiding the Trap of Comparison and Envy}

Impatience

Impatience is probably one of the most significant and constant distractions to our faith. God’s timing for His kingdom is perfect. Our fears and insecurities are a problem. The enemy will use our concerns, so we act too quickly or respond too slowly. He might also keep us praying for more confirmation, so our uncertainty makes us inactive. The devil wants to convince us we know best, so we jump to a decision without praying first.

The story of Moses striking the rock is an excellent biblical example of someone acting hastily and without faith.- (Read it HERE). God told Moses to speak to the rock, and the rock would bring forth water. However, Moses goes to the rock and strikes it with his rod. Why? Did his insecurities cause him to doubt God’s command?

Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them. Numbers 20:12

Sometimes, our hasty actions, rooted in fear or insecurity, will keep us from receiving the blessing God has for us. Moses’ hasty action lost him the blessing of entering the Promised Land.

Our patience can improve when we remember the times God has been faithful to us, even if we had to wait for an answer to prayer.

Here is your second journaling prompt:

Journal about a time God answered your prayers. Did you have to wait for the answer? How can you exercise faith the next time you are tempted to act too quickly or respond too slowly?

Letting Your Faith Coast

Everything is going great, your church attendance is consistent, you volunteer regularly, and you bless every meal before you eat it. Faith coasting can sneak up on you. Our actions can make us appear devoted when our hearts have slipped into autopilot.

If you have found yourself stuck on autopilot, it could be because you have lost sight of the meaning behind your actions.

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.  Hebrews 2:1

Perhaps this is a good time for some changes? Maybe switch up your volunteer time and try something new. Ask God for a dose of inspiration in your spiritual life. But the most important thing we can do to bring back the passion to our faith walk is to get into the Word. Start a new Bible study, read a chapter of the Bible you have not read in a long time, meditate on your favorite Bible verses. Ask God to renew your faith and passions.

Here is your third journaling prompt:

List three places in your faith (church attendance, bible study, tithing, volunteering, or praying, for example), that you could add more passion. Write out an action plan for bringing passion back to your faith.

Refocus

Just like a ship that has drifted out to sea, our faith can also drift when we are distracted. The enemy will use many tactics to separate us from God.

In the book Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, a senior demon named Screwtape instructs his nephew, Wormwood, a less experienced demon, to work on guiding a man away from faith in God towards “Our Father Below,” the devil. His primary way of guiding the man is through distraction.

 “But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy (Jesus). It does not matter how small the sins are, provided the cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into Nothing.” – C.S. Lewis/The Screwtape Letters

Let us pray for protection from the dangers of distraction.

Heavenly Father, show me places where I have become distracted in my faith. Help me to refocus on your Word and ignite in me a renewed passion for living for you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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