It's a beautiful day as I write this post. The sun is out, it's warm, birds are sweetly chirping outside and my energy is up. I feel great!
BUT....
Like everyone else, this feeling is fleeting. At times, I am the complete opposite - living reactively to various circumstances and distractions.
Distractions - that is the best term I can find to describe anything - tangible or perceived - that deviates me from my true course, feeling joyful and feeling at peace.
Photo by Uday Mittal on Unsplash
A recent incident around my home has allowed me to truly see how a distraction can threaten your peace, drain your energy, and reduce your sense of well-being.
Our cameras picked up a man walking directly unto our property from the street, straight towards our front door, then turning to the side of the house as if he was looking for something. He was walking with another man as well - highly irregular, suspicious and very intentional behavior.
Of course I was uneasy about it. I spent the night thinking about it, feeling worried, anxious, angry, annoyed and disturbed.
I read Psalm 91 which came to mind instantly, researched every other scripture I could find about the Lord being a protector, nervously prayed (with one eye open!) and kept my security app logged in to receive any alerts (which were many!). I was restless and nowhere near totally peaceful. I could sense myself on the verge of a headache and anxiety as I kept replaying the footage and mentally rehashing if we made sure all our doors were secure. My mind created a plethora of what if's and alternate endings trying to rationalize what we had seen.
I was distracted, completely distracted.
Then I said to myself, why on earth will I allow this to disturb my peace?
God is my shield.
Greater are those that are with me than against me and mine.
When enemies rise against God's children they are the ones who stumble not us.
My mind recalled a lesson in the Old
Photo by Pete Willis on Unsplash
Testament where God multiplied the sound of the footsteps of the four lepers and sent an entire army running- a whole armed army!
The same God who I declare faith in everyday!
Is He not powerful enough to handle this??????
Indeed He is.
Of course He is!
He absolutely is and I needed to turn it over to him completely.
A full two days later, it has been revealed to my spirit that that was meant as a distraction.
That was its true purpose - a distraction of the enemy.
It threw me off my focus from thanking God, glorifying Him, seeking ways to express my best and highest self, offering service, being joyful in my own home.
I did not feel productive, my energy was negative - I was speaking and acting in a way contrary to my best.
I was not focused on my plans and goals, I was not fully taking the measures to accomplish anything, my focus was thwarted with fear and I was just distracted.
Distracted.
The net result of my distraction was a few days of reduced productivity, anxiety, anger and a discomfort in my spirit.
What a waste!
I am so joyful and thankful that the realization is clear.....circumstances meant for a distraction are a waste of time and energy.
My decision today, and my encouragement to anyone reading is to regain your focus, stay committed to God and trust Him totally.
Allow Him to keep us in perfect peace - "a peace that passes all understanding" as the good book says.
Distractions are a waste of time and energy - two of our most precious resources as human beings.
I will never get back a single second I wasted being fearful.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
That energy I expended in anxiety could have been rechanneled to many more productive pursuits.
Be guarded against distractions by staying focused and in peace through complete trust in Our Father.
His will for our lives will always prevail and He knows his intended purpose for our lives and the plans he has for us.
"Of whom shall we be afraid?" as the Psalmist declared.
We know only too well how our fears can be such an impediment - dragging us back to mediocrity - distracting us from our vision, and blurring our clarity. The fears present themselves in so many shapes and forms - uniquely tailored for each person, crafted by the enemy to keep us distracted from our purpose and promises.
Handle distractions with the confident authority that as God's children his will is to withhold no good thing from us.
Handle distractions by remembering that everything works together for our good, being called according to His purpose - the unexpected, the challenges, the storms, the breakdowns, the negatives - EVERYTHING!
The more I write, the more confident I feel as this anchors in my spirit and is now being shared with you, my audience.
Finally let us always keep this word in our spirit from Isaiah 26 :3
"You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You."
Be blessed and thank you for engaging with me as we move towards actualizing our highest selves and fulfilling our destiny.
Comments