Have you ever been sidetracked? I'm sure you have....we all have. I was spending time in my personal devotions today and I realized just how often I've been sidetracked. You know what I mean?
You start your prayer time, or time in the Scriptures and the phone rings, there is a knock on the door, or some other type of distraction happens that takes you away from what you are doing. In fact, it is entirely possible that we sidetrack, and therefor sabotage our own success.
I realized that I'd done something like that recently when I was working on a lesson plan for a Bible study that will be published later this year. I heard the little "ding" that notifies me on the arrival of email. I stopped only momentarily to see who the message was from, and before I knew it, I had consumed another twenty minutes reading and writing email, and I failed to return to my initial task for the rest of the day.
It was then that I began to think about how many things "sidetrack" us from the work of the Lord.
Could it be that much of the debate, reasoning and questioning among ourselves at times takes us away from the dissemination of the gospel to the world? Possibly, the time we spend in meetings only adds questions and concerns instead of giving answers and peace.
The great commission in Matthew 28 tells us to go, preach and teach and to disciple the world around us. I've realized that so much time is wasted on the small things...majoring in minors, you might say. I fully understand what Paul meant when he said that he was determined to know nothing but "Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
It is with that same thought that I find myself trying to find ways to avoid the things that "sidetrack" me personally, and I hope we can do the same for all of our churches, state offices and international offices as well.
As time draws to a close, we have to focus and keep our eyes on the prize....the rapture can't be far away. Please join me in praying that God will help us to stop being sidetracked...and be about the Master's businesss.....
God bless you!
You start your prayer time, or time in the Scriptures and the phone rings, there is a knock on the door, or some other type of distraction happens that takes you away from what you are doing. In fact, it is entirely possible that we sidetrack, and therefor sabotage our own success.
I realized that I'd done something like that recently when I was working on a lesson plan for a Bible study that will be published later this year. I heard the little "ding" that notifies me on the arrival of email. I stopped only momentarily to see who the message was from, and before I knew it, I had consumed another twenty minutes reading and writing email, and I failed to return to my initial task for the rest of the day.
It was then that I began to think about how many things "sidetrack" us from the work of the Lord.
Could it be that much of the debate, reasoning and questioning among ourselves at times takes us away from the dissemination of the gospel to the world? Possibly, the time we spend in meetings only adds questions and concerns instead of giving answers and peace.
The great commission in Matthew 28 tells us to go, preach and teach and to disciple the world around us. I've realized that so much time is wasted on the small things...majoring in minors, you might say. I fully understand what Paul meant when he said that he was determined to know nothing but "Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
It is with that same thought that I find myself trying to find ways to avoid the things that "sidetrack" me personally, and I hope we can do the same for all of our churches, state offices and international offices as well.
As time draws to a close, we have to focus and keep our eyes on the prize....the rapture can't be far away. Please join me in praying that God will help us to stop being sidetracked...and be about the Master's businesss.....
God bless you!
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