Distractions? What Distractions?

What distracts you from what you know you need to do? Anything? Everything? It never fails that when I have something that really must be done right now, the phone rings. It's a telemarketer, my sister, the school, a wrong number, and onward. If it isn't that, then it's the nine things I totally forgot to do yesterday that pop into my head. Now where were these thoughts yesterday when I needed them? Being slammed down by the six things I forgot to do the day before! When I get tracked off in that direction, seldom do I come back to what I was originally doing.

Hey, the dog wants to be fed. Funny how that slipped my mind until now. Of course, the dog will NOT allow me to forget that for long. Meanwhile, the cat is busy playing in the dog's water dish. Yep, it's nearly empty. The way I know is the cat drags it out into the middle of the room so I can trip over it. 'Hello, my water is low! What were you thinking?'

That reminds me. Did I tell you what the cat did the other day? No? Well, she was walking along, minding her own business. In an attempt to be funny (yeah right) I pointed at her and said 'bang'. She collapsed to the floor! When the shock wore off, I stopped drooling down my shirt, and my hysterical laughter, tears included, settled down, it came to my attention that she seems to like doing this. This might be a bit hard to describe but..this cat straightlines through the house, finding the perfect place, she 'phlumps' over like a drunk. The look of a self satisfied cat emerges.

Now, as I was saying about distractions, it also happens when I have articles to write, want to study the bible or pray. This is the time that the cat decides to come waltzing under my bare leg, dragging her tail across that same leg. Or when I am trying to think (rare though that may be), she comes up, sits, waits not-so patiently, then after at least a minute of not getting attention, she drags her claw across that very same bare leg. 'Hello, can you see me here? I'm tan, furry, and impatient.' That's like cold water on your face in sub-zero weather! Distraction? Are you serious? I now need medical attention! Then all of a sudden, I have so many things to do. If not that, hey that thing I have been trying to remember for a week just popped into my head! Is this really all coming from my mind? Perhaps not.

When you took a stand for the Lord, did you have something come against you right away? Or if you gave your heart to the Lord, did you have doubts come into your mind almost immediately? How about when you pray? Mind wanders in all directions, right? Sometimes it takes a while to get your mind under control but not all those thoughts are yours.

As a child of God, by now you know that you get resistance because you are getting closer to the Lord. Sometimes we do this to ourselves but not always. The enemy would love for you to believe that you are doing all this. But we do have a way to deal with this attack because that is exactly what it is, an attack. Distractions are this guy's big deal. If only he can get you distracted by your bills, your spouse, kids, money troubles, car troubles, or whatever else, then he takes away that much more of your valuable time with the Lord God. It keeps you from knowing who you are in the Lord. So how do we deal with it?

James 4:7, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

If you will submit yourself to God, THEN you can resist the devil and he will flee. We have that authority in the Lord. The word here is 'resist'! But we were talking about thoughts. There's help for that too!

2 Corinthians 10:3-5, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"

Did you notice that the warfare is not in the body, the flesh? Since the battle is in the mind (the only place left that the devil can bother you), we must use what the Lord has given us for weapons. We have authority in the name of Jesus!!

So therefore, we can cast down imaginations and bring EVERY thought into captivity to the OBEDIENCE of Christ. Now that sounds great. But wait. What does the word 'Christ' mean? Isn't that Jesus' last name? No, that word means 'the Anointed One and His Anointing'. The application depends on what is involved. In this case, we are casting down and putting into captivity all thoughts that have nothing to do with the Lord so this time it means the Anointing.

Look at that verse now. All thoughts will come into obedience of the Anointing. What does that actually mean to me? When the stray and unwanted thoughts come, especially at a time when you are busy with the Lord's business, cast them away from you. For instance, I say 'I do NOT intend to think that. That is NOT my thought. I cast it down in the name of Jesus.' Then since I apply it to myself, it becomes very personal. Try putting yourself in the verse. Of course, the enemy is determined and until you get persistent as well, those thoughts will continue for a while. However, in a bit you will notice that they don't come nearly as often. They will not disappear but soon, if you are as determined to get rid of him as he is in trying to distract you, victory will come. What comfort that is.

I have to get back to praying now, well, after I get this claw mark tended to. My, that's bleeding. Wait a minute, the dog needs to go outside. Oh I forgot to get the meat out for supper. Now I have to thaw it too. There's the phone again. The kids' bus is coming. Have to go meet them. Where did I put my glasses? Oh there's that book I wanted to read! Where was it hiding three days ago?

Here they come. The distractions go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah.

Here Come The Distractions. Count Them One By One!

by Lura Langenback