Disciplining Ourselves in the Midst of Distraction

This week’s message is all about distractions and how we can discipline ourselves in them. They are a part of life, so they aren’t going to go away but we don’t have to discipline ourselves alone, because God wants to help. Check out the video and the extra stuff below. Study the scriptures, and get to know a little bit more about what the Lord is saying in the midst of your distractions.

“As soon as we are alone…inner chaos opens up in us. This chaos can be so disturbing and so confusing that we can hardly wait to get busy again. Entering a private room and shutting the door, therefore, does not mean that we immediately shut out all inner doubts, anxieties, fears, bad memories, unresolved conflicts, angry feelings and impulsive desires. On the contrary, we have removed our outer distraction, we often find that our inner distractions manifest themselves to us in full force. We often use the outer distractions to shield ourselves from the interior noises. This makes the discipline of solitude all the more important” – Henri Nouwen 

What are the types of distractions?
– The Inside ones: our feelings; anger, sadness, anxiety, fear, etc.
– The mental ones: our mind and what we are thinking, even mental illness
– Comparison: distracted by what everyone else is doing on social media
– Taking things personally: worrying about what everyone else thinks
– Children: a GOOD distraction, part of the purpose
– Loved ones/Family: When the people we love need support or help, we need to stop
– Our plan/Goals/Dreams: can get derailed if they aren’t part of God’s plan

So when you say, “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” remember God has another plan. Choose to accept, adapt and overcome. If we adapt to God’s plan, it’s always better than ours.  In FACT, his detours always get us to where we’re supposed to be, not where we THINK we’re supposed to be. When the detours come, you gotta fight the fear with faith and believe God will use them for your calling, because we all have a calling and we have to steward our calling- meaning we have to be responsible for what God called us as individuals to do, not what someone else is called to do.

Remember and study these Scriptures:
– Luke 10. Read the story of Mary and Martha and how Martha was so distracted by doing, she didn’t understand the power of Mary wanting to be in the presence of Jesus.
– Hebrews 12:6
– Proverbs 3:11-12
When God wants us to discipline our MIND, BODY and TIME.
– 1 Timothy 4:7
– 1 Corinthians 9:27 (The Voice)
– 2 Corinthians 10:5
– Ephesians 5:15-17
– Hebrews 12:11