DON’T GET DISTRACTED – STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT GOD CALLS YOU TO DO

I can't give credit to who originally penned this as it was copied from an email sent to me, but it is a devotion someone in our office received and passed on to me.  They are wonderful words of encouragement with life lessons.

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DON'T GET DISTRACTED – STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT GOD CALLS YOU TO DO 

Set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.  For [as far as this world id concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. 

Colossians 3:2-3 Amplified 

Pursue the things over which Christ presides.  Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you.  Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ – that's where the action is.  See things from his perspective.  Your old life is dead.  Your new life, which is your real life – even though invisible to spectators – is with Christ in God.  He is your life.  Colossians 3:2-3  The Message 

      My family enjoys going to antique markets.  For my husband, it's all about the hunt!  In Atlanta, we have Scott's Antique Market on the second weekend of every month.  With over 2,400 booths in two large warehouse-type buildings, you could spend all day long looking for that special treasure.  In fact, having so much for sale makes it easy to get distracted.  That's why we narrow down our treasure hunt to a few items as we walk through the buildings.  We may not notice everything that is available, but we tend to find more of what we are looking for when we stay focused. 

      In many ways, life is like going to the antique market.  Because we have so many options in every area, we can easily become distracted and lose our focus.  Technology has made more knowledge available to us than we could ever read or understand.  Advances in transportation means more varieties of food are available than ever before.  There are more places that we can invest or spend our money than we have money to spend.  These examples are just a few of the many choices we face in our lives.  Investigating all of the options in every area can hinder our ability to complete a job.  Part of being successful involves knowing what to leave out and what to pursue.   

      God has a unique plan for every individual. That means all of the options in time, information, and relationships can become distractions when we do not stay focused on what we are called to do.  George Washington Carver could not have made all his discoveries about peanuts, sweet potatoes, and other plants had he spent his time playing tennis, reading about cars, or spending time with people who were interested in accounting.  Instead, he spent his lifetime studying and experimenting with plants.  As a child, he loved to work in the garden.  Since he was unable to attend school, he educated himself by learning to read.  Finally, at the age of 30, he was accepted in college and was able to study botany and farming, even becoming the best student on campus.  His studies and experiments on plants led to many new uses:  300 products from peanuts, 118 from sweet potatoes, and 75 from pecans.   Because he stayed focused on what God led him to do, his discoveries improved life for many generations to come.  

      God puts certain desires and gifts in each person to equip that person for his life work.  As we make choices in life, we should keep God's plan for our life in the forefront of our mind.  Paul's letter to the Colossians said that we should set our mind and keep it set on what God calls us to do.  Put all of your efforts into staying on your course in life.  When you choose friends, be sure to include those who will encourage and help you in the area of your calling.  As you read, choose information that will increase the knowledge you need for what God calls you to do.  Guard your time so that you do not put too much of it on things that hinder progress. Just like going through the antique market, it is possible to go through life and get so distracted with people, places, and entertainment that we miss the mark of the high calling of Jesus in our lives.

       Stop trying to compare your life with everyone else.  Just because someone else spends a lot of time on the tennis court, invests in cars, reads about decorating, or spends a lot of time in art galleries does not mean that you have to do that.  The world is full of options because it is full of so many different people.  Some of them will be tennis teachers, invent new car parts, write decorating magazine articles, and become teachers of art history. Make choices in time management, friendships, education, and other areas based on what God calls you to do – not what He calls someone else to do.  Stay focused on your calling and God will do great and mighty things in your life. 

      When Aaron and his sons were consecrated as priests in the book of Leviticus¹ and when healed lepers were cleansed,² some of the blood was placed on the right ear, the right thumb, and the right big toe of their foot.  As I thought about this, I decided maybe that was so the priests and the people would hear the word of the Lord, would do what God wanted them to do, and would go where God wanted them to go.  This is my prayer for you this week.  May you hear the Word of God for your life, may you do what God would have you to do, and may you go where God would have you to go.  Have a wonderful week!

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Author Unknown at this point