Satan loves us to get distracted. By us, I mean God's people. He loves us to get distracted by our preferences, our rights, our lusts, our commitments, our failures, our victories, our addictions. When we are distracted his job is easier. He doesn't worry about souls being added to the kingdom when we are obsessing about the car we would like to have, the music we like to hear, the 10 lbs we need to lose, etc. The world is in need of a living Savior that can rescue them from a living misery and a burning hell. And we are idling our time away talking of the latest fashion or the new outrageous celebrity. I know this sounds a bit heavy for a wonderful Friday morning, but I couldn't sleep last night. I first laid awake thinking of all the things that seem so pressing that didn't get done that need to get done. Worrying about things that could happen, not have happened, just could happen. Then the Lord reminded me once again that we are in the process of adopting a child. One that could be born already. One that could be hungry and alone. Connected to that child is a mother so desperate that she gives her child up, either because she is dying or is going to and possibly go to hell. This mother is part of a village which is part of a city which is part of a country that is suffering from severe drought. And here I lay awake fretting over such small unimportant details. I was convicted. I am not saying we should all live in tents, reject society and all its trappings and all adopt hungry kids. I am just sharing that when we get so caught up in what we want and what we think we need or deserve or prefer we lose all influence on a lost and needy world. They see no difference between us and them. So they don't see their need for what we say we "got". This morning I prayed that God would please remind me of this always. I don't want my life to have been spent for naught. When I die I don't want there to be a pile of possessions left over to divide up between my kids, and that be it. I want there to be this legacy that Christ truly mattered in my heart. That His convictions ruled my life. That I put off anger and resentment and bitterness and put on His Holy garment of kindness, longsuffering and patience. That there was real joy in the midst of trials. That I lived at the end of myself and then God came and made His glory known. That when my life is over my kids experienced a real, true and living God that influenced my behavior, my words and my actions. God help me to not be distracted!
Father I pray for you to always grip my heart the way you did last night. May I never put my wants over what you want for me, your people or your church. May I never be so busy with the urgent to not offer a cup of living water to someone thirsty. Please help me not to think of only myself but the world, the whole world around me. In Your Name, Amen.
Sorry if I bummed you out, this is where I am this morning...
Pressing On,
Carrie
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