When Distraction is More Dangerous Than Temptation


Have you ever read The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis?  I love the book, and I am amazed at the insight CS Lewis displayed into the human mind and our way of thinking.  He was well aware that sometimes it is not the outright sins that can trap us … it is distraction.

I don’t know about you, but I find myself easily distracted.  Sometimes I am distracted by nothing – just a desire to “veg” and let my mind consider nothing of importance.  Sometimes I am distracted by things outside of my control.  And sometimes I am distracted by activities and opportunities. This last area is the one I specifically want to discuss today.

God has called you, right now, to fulfill a specific purpose.  Do you know what that is? What is the primary objective God has given you for this season of your life?  

For many of us it is motherhood.  Our main mission is to raise our children to know, love, and serve God.  Sometimes just keeping them alive is our day-to-day objective, but I’m referring to the long-term goal!

Perhaps your purpose right now is different, but I want you to identify one specific area in which you know God has called you to actively engage right now. 

Now that you are thinking of that one specific thing, I want you to rate yourself on a scale of 1-10. How well do you think you are focusing on that one task (one being least focused, ten being laser focused)?

Next, I want you to consider what kinds of things are distracting you from your purpose.  Is it social media or online outlets? Is it friends? Is it comparison with others? Is it events or activities? Is it a job? Is it ministry? Yes, even something amazing can distract you from your primary objective!

Satan knows that he does not always have to get us to do something wrong in order to win the battle; sometimes he just needs to keep us from doing what is best.

Lastly, I want you to visualize what it looks like to get – and stay – on target.  The key steps are:

  • Know your purpose (What is my goal?)
  • Know your path (How do I reach my goal?)
  • Know your problems (What is most likely to distract me from my goal?)

Let’s get that target right in front of us, stay focused, and hit the mark!

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