You Cannot Afford The Distraction

On a Monday morning following a hard weekend I need to hear His voice.  I NEED to hear what He has to say about situations that are painful and circumstances that are hard.  And in my desperate attempt to find answers, I come.  Come to the only place that brings peace... the only place that offers comfort and I say the words I know to muster... the words that have become my anthem song in difficult seasons of hurt... "Jesus, speak.  Say something to my heart today that I will help me get through this."

And just like only He can do - He shows up more powerfully than I could have imaged.

And just like only He can do - He delivers words on a page that feel like salve for the soul.  And the "answer" comes from an unlikely verse.  Just one verse nestled sweetly in the middle of my bible...

Psalm 27:3.  "Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid.  Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident."

Because living in this dry and desert land can so often times feel like a battleground.  And all around we are simply "dodging bullets." Our eyes wake to a new day, and simultaneously there's a war raging for our very soul.  From the moment our feet hit the ground we have an enemy working tirelessly to destroy us.  And he'll use any tactic... any means necessary.  He'll use people to communicate hateful words, he'll cause illness to sneak in and invade, he'll manipulatively construct patterns of rejection designed to invoke doubt about God's call on your life.

He will use whatever means are necessary.

And sometimes he doesn't even have to try very hard.

Sometimes we come as willing participants aimed headlong into the trap.

And then in the Lord's kindness and great care for my wounded heart I read this story in the pages of commentary:

"A Dutch fleet once drew near to Chatham. Fearing it might effect a landing, the Duke of Albemarle determined to prevent it, and endeavoured to inspire his men with his own dauntless spirit. Calmly he took his position in the front, thus exposing himself to the hottest fire from the hostile ships. An affectionate but over-cautious friend, seeing him in such danger, darted forward, seized him by the arm, and exclaimed, "Retire, I beseech you, from this fierce shower of bullets, or you will be a dead man!" The Duke, releasing himself from his grasp, turned coldly on the man who would tempt him to cowardice in the hour of his country's need, and replied, "Sir, if I had been afraid of bullets I should have given up the profession of a soldier long ago."

And I read those lines again... the ones that impacted me the most,

"Retire, I beseech you, from this fierce shower of bullets, or you will be a dead man!"

He "turned coldly on the man who would tempt him to cowardice in the hour of his country's need, and replied, "Sir, if I had been afraid of bullets I should have given up the profession of a soldier long ago."


Because truth be told, our first inclination... our first reaction is to "retire" or to "retreat" from our assignment.  One look at danger and our reflex is to withdraw.

And I see it too often with those who've been given such responsibility and yet remain ineffective due to the intimidation of the weapons aimed against them.

I see it now... the bullets are intended to distract me from my mission.  They are meant to bewilder me, disturb me, divert me, and frustrate me from the good things God has planned.  The ammunition is meant to trouble, agitate, confound, confuse, sidetrack, delay, unhinge, discourage, circumvent, disappoint, ruin, and throw me off course.

And I hear the words from a best friend who's purpose is to encourage AND advance me, "You cannot afford the distraction."  And she's right.  I'm stopped dead in my tracks when the words leave her mouth.  She's right.  I can't afford the distraction... it's too costly.  And when God has called you to be set apart... when He has called you to live differently... you no longer have the option of distraction.  And changing the assignment is not a choice either.

Because wasn't it what I had studied about just last week... wrote about even... the call for every believer is spelled out for us in 1 Thess 5:16-18... "Remain joyful, pray continuously, and be thankful in all circumstances."

My call is that of a soldier.  A soldier serving for Jesus.  Serving Jesus.  And "if I had been afraid of bullets I should have given up the profession of a soldier long ago." 

And so I wonder about obtaining this courage during the trials of unsettled times.  And how, in the midst of the battle am I to maintain a spirit that is unafraid?

1.) Communion with the Father.
I must behold His beauty.  I must offer authentic worship and an appropriate view of who He is.  Exodus 3:5 says this, “'Do not come any closer,' the Lord warned. 'Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.'  Do we really have a sincere appreciation for whom we are serving and whom we love?  A right adoration for the King of Kings??  I must mediate on who He is and the goodness of His character.  My commentary says, "The heart and mind must be fed and strengthened by constant converse with God in worship and holy thought."

2.) Frequent Seclusion.
Psalm 27:5 says this, "For He shall conceal me when troubles come; He will hide me in His sanctuary.  He will place me out of reach on a high rock."  Often we must retreat to be with the Father in private.  We must get in the habit of creating a history with Him that only He and I have.  That means shutting the world out as we shut Him in.  Jesus modeled this behavior for us, "Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer." (Luke 5:16)  It's the only way we conquer trouble and prepare for the danger that lies ahead.  I must frequently seclude myself from worldly disorder.

3.) Worship!
Hebrews 13:15 says, "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that openly profess his name."  Yes.  Expressions and exercises of a heart yielded to God!  It's what keeps us in constant review of what He's doing and what He has done through His abundant goodness and amazing grace.  My commentary adds this, "Courage and hopefulness must be fed with joy and not with sadness and sorrow.... in thought of all He has done for us, we strengthen our hearts."

Our sights must be set on heaven.  We must be in constant meditation of Him.  "To behold the beauty of the Lord and meditate on His temple." (Psalm 27:4).  Our mind must be fixated on Him, our thoughts occupied by Him, and our hearts employed for His service.

We cannot afford a single distraction.  Time is running out.  A time when, "People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it." (Amos 8:12).

We cannot afford to waste another second on worry and doubt and fear about senseless enemies only seeking to kill, steal, and destroy.  I must set my gaze on things unseen... those things within the heavenly realm.

And all of this is proof of a renewed soul.

And so I wake on a Tuesday morning more determined than I was just days ago.  Because the mission is evident and my assignment hasn't changed.  And I believe with everything in me that the Lord is scanning the entire earth looking for willing agents who are determined to be unaffected by the disturbance... those who are unwilling to be thrown off course by interruptions of violence, and who are unafraid of the warfare raging against them while actively stepping into the path riddled by bullets aimed to kill.

I will remain steadfast in my pursuit of Him.

I cannot afford the distraction.