As I was thinking about how best to talk about distractions in our daily lives, a common analogy that came to mind was two plants with distinct benefits growing on your field. Distractions are not necessarily bad ideas but they sway a person from achieving his/her main purpose.
Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines Distraction as a thing that takes your attention away from what you are doing or thinking about
Distraction can be the good thing that keeps you away from achieving the best.
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Think about this: You have prepared your field to plant Corn and you realize that some Okra are growing among your Corn. It’s one thing if you have the capacity to nurture the two plants, and another thing if you don’t have space and resources.
Both plants are good. They can grow well on your field and probably fetch you money but if you don’t have the capacity to keep the two, then the Okra can prevent you from achieving your set target for the period. Their presence on your field would mean that they would share nutrients with your corn and probably affect your harvest.
Credit: aces.edu
From the scenario above, the Corn is the main objective, plan, target, desire, etc. The Okra is a sidetrack, something you didn’t plan for. It popped up from nowhere, or suggested by other people, or its only appealing to your desires. The field is your lifetime, year (like 2021), moment, season. And the Nutrients are time, money, energy, relationships, etc.
You prepared your year (field) for Corn (marriage planning, kids planning, new business, expansion, new job, new certification, relocation, weight management, etc). But some Okra happened to grow on your field. You’ve looked around you and kind of wonder “what have I done for myself this year?” Every other plants seem to be growing fine but the Corn.
One thing you should note is that different people have different purpose for their fields. That is as you decided to plant Corn in this year, you best friend’s plan was to plant Okra. Therefore don’t be deceived into thinking that an Okra growing on your field is a good thing. It might look good at the moment but it’s not part of your plan this year.
Distraction is a poison pill that kills dreams. It leads to disappointment and misery. It’s objective is to make you feel bad in the end and give up because you would feel strongly that time has been wasted for what is not important. It is therefore important that you know what you don’t want so that you can give your attention to what you want to achieve.
Know that your enemy (Satan) has you marked for distraction so pray and let wisdom guide you in your every decision. Proverbs 4:25-27 (CEV) says that Keep looking straight ahead, without turning aside. Know where you are headed, and you will stay on solid ground. Don’t make a mistake by turning to the right or the left.
Take a quick look back, at the beginning of the year, or your career, business, relationships, family, etc. Are you on track? or somehow distracted? Distraction can be dealt with so start today and your old age will thank you for making right choices.
“This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.” (Habakkuk 2:3 NLT)
Uplifting Christ 