Distraction

Wow, it's been a while. This is my first post of the summer and only second of the year. Man, things have just been crazy and it's so easy to get swept up in life...which is exactly the message I'm sharing today. Distraction. I finally saw the impact of it in my life today!
Ever since the summer started, I've been busy. Working full time in one city, living and playing music in another, hanging out with friends in two more...it's all been fun and all been good, but oh so tiring. None of those things by any means are inherently bad, but all together I've found that besides a few highs, it's my spiritual life that's been suffering. I started out the summer strong: church every week, college service, bible studies...then work came and most of those stopped, as when I'd come back to Baton Rouge on the weekends, I'd be exhausted. With that, my focus on eternal things started to go too. The most important things in life became the music that I was creating and listening to and the people who I was with, instead of showing the fruits of the spirit and advancing the kingdom. And while I know that the friendships I've made recently are divinely chosen, I also know that I've snubbed so many more that God had placed me in already and given me such a position of influence. I was forgetting my purpose (other people) and living for myself. (and to all the people I've kind of abandoned this summer, I do want to apologize. Let's change it:)
Distraction takes many different forms in lives: for some it might be living for a job, others it might be hanging out with people who draw you away from God, others it might be being trapped in the past or living for the future (both being used as escape from the present). No matter what it is, if it's drawing you away from God, it's robbing you of your potential. Joyce Meyer tweeted yesterday that when we slide on our potential, we're only robbing ourselves of the amazing experiences God has in store for us and the chance for us to change lives and change the world. That's SO true! Not only are we missing out on living such an impactful life, but when we let distraction get in the way of purpose, we feel dissatisfied, unproductive and bored. All things that nobody strives to feel.
So I'm going to go to church tonite. Not just to show up, but to truly encounter the spirit and hear him speak. I'm so ready to get back on that purpose! This two month break's been MORE than enough! I'd really really encourage you to do the same! If you've been like me this summer, let's talk. I'd love to encourage you and have you do the same :)
Peace, y'all
Oh, and do you wanna know why all these distractions keep popping up? The devil knows you have so much potential and that if you're focused on God He's gonna use you to do "greater things than these", so he's running scared. The devil attacks strongest the ones who God has the biggest plans for. Don't let his desperation be your distraction, see what he's doing there and be encouraged that he's scared of what God's got in store through you!