I’ll let you in on a little secret. I figured out what my littles were doing early on, but I let it play out. I knew if I were always telling them about the consequences of distraction, they wouldn’t believe me. They would think I was taking their fun away or being too hard on them, so I let them feel the pain of distraction so they would stop searching for it.
Changing the world for Jesus is hard work: It takes discipline. It will require us to silence distraction. We are reaping the consequences of distraction from generations before us who were unwilling to do the hard work, but instead found relief and solace in distraction.
Women, the army of God no longer has the luxury of time to be distracted. We can no longer succumb to it, or search for it. The world needs every single one of us focused, disciplined, and ready to change the world for Jesus. Our time on this earth is short, but our impact will last for generations. If we want to pass on hope past our lifetime, we will have to set aside the distractions of this world and put into focus the importance of living our lives on purpose.
“So, then, be careful how you live. Do not be unwise but wise, making the best use of your time because the times are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16 ISV
“Make the best use of your time,” means we have to take time seriously—it is finite while we are on this earth. Each minute that passes is a minute spent, a minute invested, or a minute wasted. We choose how to spend our time, and once spent, we can never get it back. Time can be full of purpose and impact or it can be wasted and squandered. What is the best use of your time? What gets all of your focus and attention? Are you living on purpose or chasing the distractions the enemy throws on your path? How you spend your time and your life pursuits is your choice, but distraction cannot dictate how you spend your life—it can only tempt you to follow it.
“But all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.” Mark 4:19 NLT
Distraction: the thief of focus, the thief of purpose, and the thief of time.
This article is an excerpt from The Silenced Army, by Nicole Chavez.
