Starve your distraction and feed your focus
Proverbs 4:25 “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.”
Allow me to lay the foundation by giving you something to ponder.
Today we live in an age of unprecedented distraction. We have a diminishing tolerance for staying on course. We are prescribing ourselves distractions pills 7 days a week, and we are just existing instead of excelling, and it’s harming our ability to listen, think carefully, be still, pray, and meditate.
Therefore, there is a ripple affect of spiritual danger, and an evil from which we need God’s deliverance.
My beloved brother and sisters,
* You can’t do big things if you are distracted by small things.
* You can’t get what you need and want and the things you cannot live without being distracted.
* You cannot stay faithful until faith stop being faithful if things are distracting you.
Here is your challenge: Stop getting distracted by things that do not have anything that does not have anything to do with your goals.
If you didn’t know,
You are one decision away from your destiny or you are one thought away from tragedy.
* If you didn’t know, Distractions don’t look like distractions until they finish distracting you. In other words,
1. You will look back over your life and ponder, and realize you are not as far as you could be.
2. That time pass you up with nothing valuable or tangible to show for.
The main thrust of our message is, Starve your distractions and feed your focus.
According to New research.
A new poll of 1 million Americans found that it takes just 32 days for the average person to finally break their resolution(s) but 68% report giving up their resolutions even sooner than that.
The poll also discovered the “why” behind our failure to keep our resolutions.
The top reason our resolutions don’t stick:
-52% said, is a lack of discipline. and -43% said, a lack of staying focused.
Distraction comes in all forms and from all directions, but the result is the same each time. Distraction takes us off course, it either prevents us from experiencing something God has for us, or puts us in a position to question if this something God has for us.
Getting back on track from being distracted can be difficult, but usually requires us to be intentional with our time and attention.
Let’s talk about what it can do:
I. It Distracts you from your identity.
Your identity will constantly be challenged because the enemy knows if he can convince you of something other than who you are he will get you off course.
A. Sampson was Stripped from purpose and
Identity.
1. His greatest strength was the source of his greatest weakness.
a. Something to consider. Strength in one area of your life does not make up the difference in other areas of your life that are weak.
Sampson had a few things to focus on.
From birth, Samson was a Nazarite. While still in the womb God told Samson’s mom that he would deliver Israel and was to always follow the Nazarite vow. (Judges 13:2-5)
* His focus was to stay clean by keeping his vows as a Nazirite
* His focus was to stay empowered with supernatural strength so he can bring deliverance to the people of Israel.
* His focus was to say no when yes would get him in trouble.
* Stay away from Alcohol.
* Stay away from cutting your hair.
* Stay away from dead bodies.
Because he laid his head in the wrong woman’s lap his strength left him.
- Let me give you a point to ponder, and some advice to think twice.
1. When you violate your vow you forfeit your focus.
He got sent to prison until he cried out for help. God restored his strength while he was in prison. Afterward, he went to finish what he was called to do.
Another form of distraction will be
II. It will Speed you up or slow you down.
A. Timing in the Kingdom of God is critical.
1. Oftentimes, distractions come in this area because we are impatient.
a. The enemy will try to get us to act too soon, or not soon enough out of fear and insecurity.
The prodigal son will teach us,
1. That the most beautiful things worth having in your life come wrapped up in a crown of thorns.
The prodigal son was put in a situation too soon because he lost his focus. Because of that, he ended up in the hog pin eating slop.
When he couldn’t take another bite he went back home with a repented heart and God blessed him.
IV. Don't grieve over the years you wasted, thank God for the grace He gives to restore what's been lost.
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you" (Joel 2:25).
I know that many of you can look back with regret at wasted years that have been eaten away by the worms of hell!
But the good news is
If you repent, God will restore you.
If you ask for forgiveness God will fulfill you.
If you will draw nearer to God, He will draw nearer to you.
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you" (Joel 2:25).
