Guidance or Distraction

Before a person becomes a Christian, Satan does everything he can to discredit God’s Word by trying to convince unbelievers it is not true. After a person comes to faith in Jesus and makes Him the Lord of their life, one of Satan’s major tools is distraction. If he can just keep my focus on the things of this world, I will not be fruitful in the Kingdom of God.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 says-

²³ “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. ²⁴ No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

I have become very aware of how easy it is to spend time on meaningless things. For example, I am very good at an on-line card game, Free Cell. Over time I have won nearly 6000 games without losing one. Recognizing it as a distraction, I have cut way back on playing, but a few days ago I sat down at my computer with the thought of reviewing a blog I was working on and suddenly the enemy “whispered” maybe I should play a game or two of Free Cell …a distraction. Because this is now top of my mind, I listened to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and I choose to work on the blog, which I enjoy just as much, but has Kingdom value. I don’t think there will be Free Cell tournaments in Heaven😊

I am not saying we don’t need an occasional break from our very busy schedules. I don’t even think a game of Free Cell is a bad thing. I have just come to realize relaxation can turn into a distraction from the things that have Kingdom value. So how do I determine what has Kingdom value? Recognizing only God and people will be in His Kingdom helps me answer that question. Jesus’ answer to what is the greatest commandment was basically love God and love others. If my focus is always on pleasing myself, it most likely won’t produce Kingdom value.

I find that having a list of things available that I could do helps me not get distracted. However, Satan is extremely good at subtle distraction. Today social media and cable TV give us plenty of opportunities to be distracted by things that are “not that bad”. For years I was a Star Trek and a Star Wars junkie. We have every episode of Star Trek, all six of the original Star Wars movies and some newer movies. I have probably seen all of them a dozen times. They were my “go to” when I “just needed to rest” or I was sick and laying on the couch.

With the Holy Spirit’s guidance, I am now aware that “time” is one of the big three areas of life (time, talent, treasure) we can choose to spend in the Kingdon or in the world. I have come to understand what we do with time fits into the definitions of the four soils Jesus gave to His disciples when clarifying the Parable of the Sower, Matthew 13:18-23. They are the “hard path” where the seed can’t penetrate, the “rocky soil” producing shallow roots, the “weeds” stealing the nutrition and keeping the seed from growing and the “good soil” ready to produce fruit.

I believe I am called to create the “good soil” in my life through surrendering myself with unconditional faith in our Father, studying His Word and a prayer life that is seeking His will, not mine. With this “soil” in place, the Holy Spirit can guide me to produce the Fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It is the Fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of Tom. I cannot produce that fruit myself. I can only be willing to be “good soil” ready to be used by the “Gardener”.

Therefore, my job is to discern the “voice” talking to me. Is it the Holy Spirit’s “voice” asking me to take part in an activity for God’s Kingdom or is it the “voice” of distraction from the master of deception?

1 John 4:1 says,

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

The next time you recognize you are hearing a message from a “silent voice”, test the spirit of that message. Is that “voice” guiding you toward something of Kingdom value or is it leading you toward something that has no lasting value or worse, a temptation to sin. Which spirit is talking to you? When I recognize who the messenger is, I can decide if I want to follow.

There are lots of things vying for my attention. The more I concentrate on loving others and looking for opportunities to help them, the more likely I will be “good soil” that our Lord can use when He needs me. The more I am focused on pleasing myself, the less likely what I do will be fruitful in His Kingdom.