The past couple of days have been really tough. It has been hard to stay focused at work. Every time I feel like I’m hitting that sweet spot and really making headway, something else seems to butt its way into my schedule. But it’s not only my schedule that seems to get overloaded, my thoughts tend to get divide so much there is very little priority of any one thing. This is a major problem. I wish I could say that God is consuming all my thoughts and that I can see Him working in all things. The truth is that I give Him very little priority in comparison to the rest of the things flooding my mind and thoughts.
God always has a way of bring things into clairity. Yesterday afternoon I had my thursday night and Friday planned. I left work, headed to chat with my tax advisor, and only made it half way. Smoke starts to bellow from underneath the hood and my heart sank. You see, I’ve been putting off a small coolent leak for the past couple of weeks now. I guess I thought it would eventually go away by its self. I was wrong. The water pump went out and sprayed the entire engine with coolent. That was not a very pleasent smell.
So, car in the shop = change in plans. Now I have zero idea on what tomorrow is going to hold. I like it. I can think and speculate all day long. But I’m finding that the slowing down is really allowing or forcing me to rest, focus, and depend on Jesus. I’m so glad God loves us enough to grab our attention. Especially when we think we are listening but have our headphones on cranked to 11.
Do you ever have those moments in life where you desire God with your heart and mind but your feet and hands don’t follow? How do you stay clear headed and focused on Jesus?
I go back to the last place I know I clearly heard from God. What was I doing, reading and praying? I’ve had times when the world tugged and pulled at my schedule, heart and mind in many different ways to keep me from focusing on what God wanted me to do. Sometimes it was my kids, other times it was my friends and some times, it was even a ministry that I was involved with that was providing the distraction. Satan has a pretty good idea what distractions work for each of us. I have a single friend who says she always knows when she is making serious gains for the kingdom because Satan starts throwing all kinds of dating prospects in her way. Relationships at this time in her life are a definite distraction from the ministry God has called her to. When she see’s these things closing in around her, she knows it’s time to draw even closer to God. What is it that distracts you or catches your attention? Is it something exciting and fun that you want to do or is it something hard and difficult that you are avoiding?
God will always show us what is a priority if we make Him a priority. I force myself to make time with Him a priority. There are times in my life when it is easier to do than others. I remember one time in particular, I set my phone alarm and titled it “Time with God”, then I set another alarm for 15 minutes after that and titled it “Get Serious, He’s waiting”. Silly things to do but I needed the reminder and encouragement to spend quality time with him at that point in my life. The world will throw many things in your face to distract you from a deep and intimate relationship with Him. I have had to make time to be in his word and to be in prayer a priority in my life. I like to start out my morning by reading my daily bible. It is amazing how He orders my day and shows me what’s important for the day when I listen to Him in the morning.
Great thought! I know for me when I sit down to read the word I am so easily distracted by things or even more so by my thoughts…I find this to be true often when I am in a conversation with someone that my mind is going elsewhere way too fast…I need to slow down and hear the ‘Whispers’ of God…one thing I really need to do is to be a better listener especially to those I am closest to…we have so much stuff, avtivity, things going on, etc…that we allow to distract us…have a great day!