Death by DistractionSample

Recently, I struggled with something for about a year and a half, something I wasn’t able to put my finger on. I couldn’t quite name it or figure it out; I just knew something wasn’t right because I didn’t feel like myself.

Anger had often become my knee-jerk emotion.

My thoughts seemed to constantly float towards negativity.

I had periods of depression.

I even questioned my calling.

I’ve worked alongside people struggling with addiction and other painful life choices for over 10 years now, and one thing I’ve learned in that time is this simple truth: people don’t change until they are desperate enough to do so.

Thankfully, finally, I got desperate. Desperate for something new. Desperate for the freedom I once lived in.

Desperate to release resentment and start living in HOPE again.

One night I went on a long run around my neighborhood. Running has become a new hobby that really helps me clear my mind and challenges me to persevere through pain. On this particular run, I listened to a podcast called “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill,” which details what happens when the Pastor or even a group of Pastors gets off track with their focus and how that can bring down what was once a mighty and super-impactful church.

As I ran and listened, God spoke: “Distraction leads to death.”

Boom. This hit me so hard, I stopped running mid-stride.

Distraction leads to death.

WOW.

In my head, I began to ask God, Really? Death?!

As I started jogging again, I began to sense God responding… Not a literal death, but something worse: the death of your calling.

Distraction leads to death.

Oftentimes the first step towards freedom from anything debilitating is to name it.

Are you being distracted today? Is your calling at risk?

What are you being distracted from? How are you being distracted? Who is distracting you?

How do these distractions affect your calling?

Come back tomorrow and we’ll pick this back up.