Yesterday, my husband and I were in the depths of great discussion about what God was doing. God was revealing some things we needed godly perspective on. He was giving us answers. He was moving. Yet, my eye kept wandering.
Why?
There was a bug on the wall.
It must be a stinkbug, I thought. I considered getting a paper towel to do what I always do, which is to grab it and to relocate it outside.
My husband continued to talk. Everything he was saying was important and life-giving for our family, but at the soonest pause in conversation, I hopped up. Instead of continuing to stay in the flow of what God was doing, I was distracted by a bug on the wall.
Completely losing track of what God was doing, I reached out with the paper towel to grab the bug, but…. ICK! It was not a stinkbug; it was a COCKROACH!!!
My skin started to crawl.
My heart started to race.
How many are in here?
How long have these things been in the house?
Why are the kids leaving popcorn crumbs on the floor?
Fear started to settle in. Leaving my bible on the table, I ran off to Amazon to buy traps. I returned back to inspect the walls. I threw blankets out of my way.
My husband grabbed the vacuum. Furniture was moved.
But, all of a sudden he switched off the hum of the cleaner and in silence he proclaimed, “Kelly, this is exactly how the devil works; he distracts us!”
And, wasn’t my husband right?
Deep devotion is easily stolen by random distraction.
How often are we in the heart of God and a phone rings. Or, we are in a mountain-moving prayer and a to-do list item comes to mind. Or, we are making real strides in journaling and our text messages ding and get the better of us? A doctor gives us a bad report and we lose all peaceful connection to God’s heart.
It’s one of the greatest ploys of the enemy. Distraction detours us and deters us from connection with God.
So, how do we combat it? Here are three ways:
1. Keep a journal close: Keep it next to you so you can write “things to do later” there. Instead of getting up and doing something else, emailing a person, buying something online — make a note so you can address it after you are done.
2. Bounce: When your mind starts to go off in a direction, don’t get angry at yourself, bounce your thoughts back to God and what He is saying.
3. Go higher: If you feel fear, worry or stress start to come on you, say to Satan, “Get behind me.” Then, go higher than the problem. Remember that God is bigger, higher, and stronger than any earthly worry that is hitting you.
“Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value].” (Col. 3:2)
Prayer: Father, give me a mind to stay with you. Keep me from evil and temptations that draw me away from your love and heart. I want you more than anything else in life. In Jesus’ name. Amen
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