Depending on the time of day that you read this, you are either writing your to do list, working through it, or grieving that you didn’t accomplish everything on it. I believe that we all keep some form of “mental note”. This note has thoughts, desires, responsibilities, and todos. You’ve got one of those, right?
I’ve come to the conclusion that our “mental notes” have become like our email inboxes. We all have one, and we either manage it or we don’t. If you do manage your mailbox and don’t have 45,329 unread emails, it’s probably your full time job to do that.
All this to say, it’s become blatantly obvious that distraction is a stealthy weapon of the enemy. All five of our senses are inundated with distraction, its a wonder we don’t combust with how much information we carry about things that don’t pertain to our purpose on earth. What you and I were born to do.
Distraction attacks our minds.
It finds us in what we watch, what we hear, and what we see.
Distraction attack our bodies.
It convinces us that poor food choices are convenient and that comparing ourselves to others is more important than learning about ourselves.
Distraction attacks our soul.
It lives by keeping us away from our purpose.
When all working together, distraction weakens our senses, our spirit, and our strength to fight our inner Goliath.
It may be as simple as sending an email or as bold as a making a move that could change your current life drastically.
Maybe it’s a visit with a friend or relative that you just haven’t found the time to make.
What is it inside of us that allows the clean pile of laundry to go days without folding? Who is charge of our motivation when we have something in front of us that we want to get done, though we just can’t bring ourselves to accomplish it?
Our intuition says “Go for it!”, and within a few seconds, we are stuck like a deer in headlights not moving or completely distracted from the direction we were going.
More than anyone else, I’m speaking to myself here. It didn’t stand out as obvious until listening to a podcast recently that talked about our “inner resistance”. This inner resistance is the block that stops you from doing the laundry, waking up early for the workout, or the rest of the items building up on the list that just can’t seem to get done.
You see, I’ve been warned about this before.
The enemy uses distraction to attack us.
He uses it against me all the time.
And quite frankly, I’m sick of it!
For as long as I can remember, I’ve allowed myself to believe that my motivation was blocked by fear, laziness, or limited resources.
I’d become well versed in chalking up my lack of effort to not having enough time or energy. After a while of saying that out loud, I began to believe it to be truth.
Thank God for giving us a real source of truth through His word, and for putting people on this planet that help get us closer to that truth whether they realize it or not. If you are open to it, God is orchestrating holy moments all of the time.
A holy moment happened while listening to a podcast with Steven Pressfield and Andrew Huberman this week. Pressfield went on to talk about this concept of “inner resistance”. Their conversation aligned with the recent thoughts I’d had on the root of my own distraction.
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
The verse feels like a prompt to “suit up”! If you imagine the heart as a powerhouse in the body, in addition to the mind, and the spirit – we are being challenged to protect ourselves in a holistic way.
Distraction is a deliberate tactic and easily disguised.
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
– 1 Peter 5:8
Some habits are not easy to break. Especially ones that were sown some time ago, and we can’t remember how the seed got there in the first place. Like a snake, the enemy can slither in with poor influence, toxic people, or bitterness towards our God given purpose if we aren’t careful.
Isn’t it wonderful that we have a loving God who sees us and knows us better than we can comprehend? Some call them breakthroughs, revelations, or come to Jesus conversations. I call these experiences, the glimpses of what God wants us to see for ourselves, holy moments.
The real war we are up against right now is beyond that of the borders that surround us. The fight begins within our spirit. When our spirits are weak, the ground becomes fertile for the enemy to sow distraction, fear, and anger towards the purpose we were born to seek.
Take this as a challenge to face whatever you are avoiding today. Don’t diminish the call on your life and stare what distracts you right in the face!
Like David looked at Goliath with confidence, a rock, and slingshot, I pray that you feel the empowered to face whatever giant is keeping you from your destined pursuit.
Even if it’s one tiny box that you check today, I’m rooting for you! Start with the next right thing and don’t let the enemy steal the precious purpose God has intentionally placed in you.
Makenna Curtis
Faith & Family Writer
Local Pulse Pensacola
