Day 5 of 5 – Distracted by Lance Lang on YouVersion
As we close this reading plan up, let’s recap:
• Distractions lead to death
• Distraction is a work of the devil
• Desperation leads to change
• Change takes place at the intersection of awareness and action
• Detractors are the people, places, and things that get us off our God-given path
So even with all this knowledge we still need a remedy.
It’s great to know that distractions can destroy us, but how do we begin to distance ourselves from the distraction and move ever closer to our destiny? It’s a simple word that’s easy to say but can be difficult to embody: Love.
Yes, love. Simply love.
What I remembered that night on my run and during my cooldown time was this: Jesus has given us a command about how to live. We just read it together, but here it is again, from Matthew 22:
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Loving your neighbor as yourself is your remedy.
Our goal in overcoming distractions is to choose the correct action, and according to Jesus, the right action is always love. Love of others, and love of yourself.
You love yourself by choosing to put yourself in a position to live your best life.
You love yourself by surrounding yourself with positive people, not distractors.
You love yourself by putting yourself in the best places to live free and stay free.
You love yourself by removing things that bring you down and keep you stuck.
Loving yourself is the key to staying focused and not living distracted.
Loving your neighbor as yourself means it’s okay to walk away from people who don’t want what God has planned for you, who want to keep you stuck in the land of distractions.
Jesus clearly told us to LOVE.
Love is always our response.
But love can mean walking away when it’s necessary. Love means loving yourself and God enough to stay on MISSION and to lose the detractors that lead to distraction!
How will you love yourself past your distractions? How will you love others in the fulfillment of your destiny? How will you live a life of love?
Focus up. Love yourself. Lay aside the distractions.
Your calling is worth it.
Distraction leads to death.
Love leads to life.
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 22:34-40
Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.” And when the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.” And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars. And Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them.” Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained.
Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.” And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life. Then his brothers and all his family came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel twenty years.
Judges 16:23-31
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