Too Many Distractions?

If you have been following my teachings lately you will see recently I had a teaching titled ‘Conformed to this World’. I would like to expand upon this based off some items that were revealed to me by God. The main scripture in my previous teaching was Romans 12:2 (NKJV), which says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”. We are in a period, where there is too much of the world not only in the church but also in many Christians lives. It is also sad to note, that we are so distracted to even realize these things, these distractions lead us to not fully accepting Christ in our life, and in our trials. So, my question to you is, are there too many distractions in the church and in your walk with God? Before I begin, I would like to point out that this teaching should be looked at as how we can improve as the Body of Christ and as individuals in our walk of faith. I myself am never 100 percent perfect, but there come times when we all need correction for our own growth.

With as busy as we are in life, it should be no surprise that we will face distractions. Yet some of these distractions can hinder our walk of faith. So many people are busy with the many aspects of their everyday lives and they become blind to these distractions. 1 Corinthians 7:35 (NKJV) tells us, “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.”. There are six common distractions I feel that many of us can fall short of in our own lives. The first distraction is not having any true joy in Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV) tells us, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”. If our joy and happiness does not originate from having Jesus in our life, then we really need to work somethings out. The second distraction is being married to or even dating an unbeliever. When you enter a relationship whether that be in dating or in marriage, and you know the other person is an unbeliever or their beliefs conflict yours and you continue in that relationship without addressing it, you are welcoming in a distraction. I myself was with someone who was an unbeliever, I thought I could change her. The relationship lasted four years too long before the Lord intervened and ended it. I am glad He intervened in the way He did, because this relationship was blocking me from receiving what God truly had for me.  To all the people out their looking for a spouse, please take your time and look for someone who has the same beliefs as you do, don’t try wasting years to convert them. 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NKJV) tells us, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”. There are also some people who let themselves spend so much time finding joy in their relationship with their spouse first, rather than with God first. Both you and your spouse should find your joy in the Lord first and let that be a foundation to your marriage or relationship if you are dating.

A third distraction we can all lack at times, is a lack of discernment. We must discern what is truly of God, and what is not. Remember wolfs can appear in sheep’s clothing. 1 John 4:1 (NKJV) tells us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”. Another distraction we might have personally is holding grudges. I have witnessed many families be torn apart over grudges. Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV) tells us, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”.  Along with forgiveness of others we must forgive ourselves too and not let our past mistakes haunt us. Proverbs 4:25 (NKJV) instructs us, “Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you.”. One last reason we can become distracted as individuals is not properly managing our time. Ephesians 5:15-16 (NKJV) instructs us, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” You might not be spending as much time with the Lord as you should be and claim you don’t have enough time. Maybe it is time to cut back on the TV or video games and spend more time in the Word and in prayer.

So, if we can be distracted personally, can the church be distracted? The answer is absolutely, and many are already distracted. One thing I would like to point out is the era of technology we are in. I realize that many people use a Bible app on their smartphone to follow along with the sermon. Whether we want to realize it or not, our phones can be a distraction. What if a notification pops up on your screen during the sermon while you are following along in your Bible app? Do you ignore the notification, or do you open it up, and end up looking through your news feed? I believe that technology can be useful in the church, if it is used correctly. But if it is not used correctly, it can lead to many people not actively listening to a sermon. A sermon is like a meal to our Spirit, if you aren’t fully paying attention you won’t absorb everything. Just like if you don’t eat your whole meal, you might miss out on some key nutrients.

These distractions in our church and in our own lives can prevent us from fully and truly receiving Christ. We need to spend more of our time focused on Jesus, rather than the world. Colossians 3:1-2 (NKJV) tells us, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”.  God wants all of us, not just part of us. You cannot become born again and have one foot in the world and the other foot in the Kingdom of God. James 4:7 (NKJV) tells us, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”.  I would really like to encourage you to take some time and really think about these distractions I mentioned, do any of these apply to you or the church you are in? If so then you need to seek God and ask Him for guidance on how to deal with these distractions appropriately so you can be in a more serious walk of faith.