Alan Fong
3 min read
Alan Fong
3 min read
Alan Fong
3 min read
How to Deal with Distractions
And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men. ~1 Samuel 2:26
All of us understand how distractions can keep us from keeping our focus. Professional basketball players know that when playing on an opponent’s home court, the opposing fans will try very hard to distract them from making free throws or making a critical shot from the court. Children can easily be distracted by the sights and sounds around them. Distractions can be costly in terms of dollars, devotion, and decisions. Loss of focus has cost many good Christians their testimonies, fruitfulness, and potency for the Lord. This morning, we want to see how Samuel, as a very young child, was undistracted from the failed lives of the sons of Eli. We want to consider how to deal with distractions.
There is the reminder about distractions.
Distractions can have a subtle influence on us. Our tendency is to follow wrong examples in order to be accepted by the crowd instead of doing right to honor God. Our tendency is allowing other people’s mistakes and sins to cause us to stop whatever we are doing and allow ourselves to get caught up in other people’s dramas. Be careful of the subtlety of distractions.
There is the routine against distractions.
"And the child Samuel grew on..." Distractions lead to setbacks. One of the key things to do to avoid being distracted is to focus on our daily schedule. Samuel continued to grow spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Normal growth comes from a good routine. Spiritual growth must follow the routine of daily Bible reading, prayer, serving the Lord, and staying accountable. I am convinced that most people are easily distracted and get out of balance because they do not focus on growth. They focus on events instead of their development. Samuel, even as a little child, did not have time to be distracted due to a rigid routine for growth.
There is the reputation against distractions.
Samuel was in favor with the Lord and with men. He did those things that pleased God and man. He had a polite and gentle disposition. He was respectful. He was obedient. He was faithful. He asked his elders to inspect what he did. He learned to live for others and not for himself. He never lost track of a proper reverence towards God. He determined that he would not live to burn bridges with other people. We should always think about the impact that we have on others, especially in whom we choose to side with, the emphasis that we make, and what we do. Once we allow the distractions to influence us, we cannot undo what has been done. People always remember us most when we did not do right, rather than when we have done right.
There is the responsibility against distractions.
Samuel served the Lord. Once he was dedicated to the service of the Lord, his schedule revolved around serving God. Serving God demands that we focus on the greater responsibilities and not just the good responsibilities. For instance, there are many things that we should be doing when it comes to serving the Lord, but witnessing and soulwinning should not be relegated to last place. Samuel's daily schedule demanded being in the right place at the right time always. People who are distracted tend to lessen their service for God instead of keeping it at a busy pace. Distractions lead us to do the good things instead of the great things.
Be careful of distractions. Remain faithful and true to the calling that God has given you. Don’t follow a multitude to do evil. Don’t let failure and setbacks get your eyes on the wrong ideas and models. Stay focused on your role, routine, reputation, and responsibilities.
Have a focused God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Job 29-31
Comments