The kingdom of darkness often uses distractions to detour us from our God-given purpose. Distractions are meant to get us involved in anything other than what God wants us to do. The devil’s aim is to distract us from God’s way of life.
Paul warns believers in Second Corinthians 2:11 about the dangers of the devil’s devices: “so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes” (NAS).
The things that try to distract me from what God has called me to do may never be a temptation to you. What’s important is that we recognize the things that demand our attention for what they are: distractions.
Jesus never took His eyes off of His God-given purpose. Though the devil tried many times, not once was he successful in drawing Jesus off course. When the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, the Bible gives us a record of three temptations the devil presented to Jesus. These temptations were an effort to lure Jesus away from the purpose and plan God had for His life.
With each temptation, however, Jesus resisted the enemy with three power-packed words: “…it is written…” (see Luke1:1-9). Jesus didn’t focus on the hardship that lay before Him; instead, He focused on the end result: the joy that accompanies victory.
Notice what Hebrews 12:2 says, “He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (AMP).
In the same way, we must focus on the calling and purpose for our lives. Second Timothy 2:4 states, “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier” (NAS).
Think about the men and women who serve their country in active military duty. They must remain focused on their mission because any distraction could result in the loss of lives. In the same way, we cannot afford to become entangled with the worldly affairs of life. Jesus lived in this world but never became entangled with it—we can live the same way.
Jesus kept His focus on God’s plan for His life by looking beyond the immediate situations He faced and remained fixed on His purpose. John 4:34 says, “Jesus said to them, My food (nourishment) is to do the will (pleasure) of Him Who sent Me and to accomplish and completely finish His work” (AMP).
Doing the will of God nourished Jesus. In other words, it gave Him the energy and sustaining power to do whatever God required of Him. It has the power to do the same for us.
