Straining Towards What is Ahead (Pt 5)
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As Jeff Griffin pointed out during last weekend’s message, a runner in a race keeps his attention on the finish line. Doing otherwise could lead to disaster. In our walk with Christ, it is equally important that we focus our attention on the prize, which is growing closer to Him and becoming more like Him. Just like a runner, disastrous things can happen when we lose that focus. It is not surprising that the enemy so often uses the tactic of distraction to oppose us.
It seems that the enemy’s most effective means of distraction in my life are:
- Unexpected Problems – just when everything seems to be going so well, it seems like the bottom falls out. The dryer breaks down, the car engine light goes on, the kids get sick, and the dog eats the remote. I don’t know about you, but my eye are diverted from the prize to the urgency of solving the problems.
- Attractive Opportunities – sometimes distraction comes packaged as a killer chance to get involved with something or be positioned for some type of impact. The struggle with such opportunities is that they so often resemble a God-given open door.
- Heavy Responsibilities – Jesus tells us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Yet, so many of us are so weighed down with the heaviest of responsibilities. There are so many good things to involve ourselves in and dedicate ourselves to, and we keep adding and adding until we are almost crushed under the load.
Of course, straining past this deception involves the same activity as moving past the enemy’s deception, disconnection, and discouragement. We really do need to keep our focus solely on Christ.
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 3:12-14
Together, let us keep straining toward what is ahead.
[...] on the outside, but is really just a distraction from what God wants you to do. They had read my last post on how the enemy uses deception. I wrote that one of the ways deception comes packaged is as an [...]