Heart of Devotion: Remaining Faithful in a Distracted World
Have you been feeling distract lately? You can’t seem to focus on what the Lord is asking of you in this season. Your mind wanders to the lack in your life. You get frustrated with the things that are not going right instead of focusing on the beautiful miracles along the journey. Your irritable, worried, stressed, and anxious. You can’t seem to shake the constant sense of unworthiness that tells you are not doing enough. You find yourself scrolling on social media comparing yourself to others as envy and bitterness begin to take root in your heart. You feel defeated and exhausted by the trials in your life that seem never-ending. You desire for more than the life you currently have and struggle to be content. You have ask yourself, where is God? Why isn’t He coming through for me?
If you are experiencing the distractions of this life, this message is for you. I want to encourage you today my dear friend that you are not alone. Today, we are going to unravel the lies of the enemy that keep us bound and put on the clothes of righteousness that we were made for through God’s Word.
Satan’s Lies
He will direct your heart towards comparison that leads to envy, covetousness, bitterness, hatred, and discord with God’s people.
He will tell you that are not doing enough and lead you down a trap of unworthiness.
He will guide you to be distract from God’s purpose by focusing on the lack in your life.
He wrap your mind around the spirit of lust: materialism, covetousness, and the pleasures of this world.
He will make you lose hope in God’s faithfulness and provision.
He will fill your mind with intrusive thoughts that will lead to stress, anxiety, fear, and worry.
He will make you lose self-control (a fruit of the Spirit) that can lead to angry, frustration, irritability, and other behavior that can negatively affect others.
He will make you doubt God and lead you to question whether God actually cares about your concerns.
He will keep your eyes worldly desires of the flesh instead of God’s kingdom.
God’s Truth Wrapped in Love
Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
Matthew 22:37
But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.
1 Samuel 12:24
Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
Psalm 86:11
Love God
God is faithful. There is no doubt about how incredibly selfless and merciful He is to us. I’m sure you can recollect countless times when the Lord has saved, redeemed, restored, healed, or blessed your life.
I want to focus instead on our faithfulness toward Him. When we stop looking at Jesus and fixing our eyes on the cross, we lose sight of His faithfulness. When we get distracted by the lies and don’t remember to put on the armor of God, we give the enemy a foothold in our lives. Instead of being prepared to fight against any spiritual attack that comes our way, we let our minds wander, souls grieve, and hearts become callous to devotion towards the Lord who saved our lives.
We are nothing without Jesus. He is everything and until we learn to surrender our sin, will, dreams, and desires to Him, we are continue to be tossed to and fro by the waves of distraction that keep us from being faithful stewards of what God has given to build His Kingdom. Our lives are not about ourselves. Once we give our lives to Jesus, it becomes about Him. It is about His will on earth as it is in heaven. We are ambassadors of the ministry of reconciliation.
We need to have an undivided heart. One that beats for the things of God. We must hold Jesus close to us. We can’t afford to let go of His word. The price is too costly if we do. There is a cost to serving the Lord. Jesus says to follow Him and He will teach us all that we need to know in order to be fully dependent on Him.
It starts with a revelation. You must see Jesus for who He truly is. Not for what He can give you but for the nature of His glorious being that transforms your entire life with one look into His eyes. It is through the wisdom and knowledge of Christ that you can be empowered to say yes when He calls you. It is the fear of the Lord that keeps you from walking away when challenges arise.
Love Yourself
There is a healthy form of self-care that looks like discipline and self-control. We all face challenges that may hinder us from walking in the fullness of God’s purpose for our lives. Taking care of yourself means that you are taking practical steps to loving Jesus with all of your heart, mind, body, and soul. Oftentimes this means saying no to things that bear no fruit while saying yes to others that will bring you closer to Jesus. An example of this would be saying no to going out when you know that you need to wake up early and spend time with Jesus before work. Rest and commune through the Word and prayer are important to God. He values quality time spent in the secret place more than how many tasks you check off during the day. Carving time in your schedule each day that is set aside is honoring to Him. Wrap your day around God and let everything else come second.
It also looks like repentance and self-awareness. Being honest with yourself about your shortcomings is not easy or fun. It takes humility to acknowledge areas of growth and ask for help or make tangible changes. The more you allow God to examine your heart and uproot anything that bears no fruit, the more willing you will be to be pruned. It will sting but it will be worth the refinement when you start to see Jesus in the mirror when you look at yourself. That is our goal, to become like the One who made us and spoke everything into existence.
Love Others
Loving others requires discernment and exhortation. This including rebuking others in love for the sake of their wellness. If you have people in your life who are struggling to be wholeheartedly devoted to Christ, it is your responsibility as a good sibling in Christ to guide them to back to the cross. Honesty is a difficult part of the process of sanctification but if they truly want to be become like Christ, they will thank you for caring about them enough to guide them back to the truth of the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ is offensive. It will destroy all preconceived notions, arguments, mindsets, and habits that don’t align with the Truth. Therefore, you must practice discernment and gentleness in not just what you say but how you say it. Our aim is not to hurt others but to challenge and encourage them to become like Jesus. That is why it is vital that you say everything wrapped in God’s love and remind them that you are coming from a place of care not condemnation or shame.
My Story
This has been a difficult season of financial lack that has stolen moments of joy from me. I have had days where I have allowed the enemy to feed me the lies written above, and lost focus on the cross. God has been so faithful to point my gaze back Jesus. I feel a weight has come off of me recently as I continue to renew my mind and remind myself of the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Through repentance, prayer, the Word, community, and this ministry, the Lord has restored my joy and set my heart towards the things above. I am choosing NOT to partner with fear, anxiety, lust (covetousness), worry, depression, poverty mindset, or any other stronghold that is keeping me from walking in the fullness of His love and miraculous provision. I am on this journey with you and I have faith that God will keep His promises because He is faithful.
Love Note
Check your heart. Allow the Lord to examine your heart and mind to find anything that is not pleasing to Him. You may have road blocks that are keeping you from staying faithful. Repent and turn from your sin. Fix your eyes on Jesus the perfecter of your faith. Look at the cross and what He has done for you. Remember where you were and what He brought you out of. Look at what God has done in His miraculous mercy and grace! It is truly more than you could ever dream or imagine. You just need shift your perspective the heavenly things above.
Prophetic Word
I see an image of someone wiping heavenly glasses that are foggy and dusty. They have been left on the shelf untouched. You are using old ones that no longer fit or work. You have been given a new vision but you are relying on the old glasses that are from the world. You need to unlearn the habits and mindsets that are keeping you from walking faithfully with God in wholehearted devotion. This lens is keeping you from entering into your promise. Repent, ask God to renew your mind and wash out any impurities. You can’t wear the same glasses from an old season of life! The prescription is old. You have been given new eyes to see! You don’t need glasses anymore, you are putting on sunglasses to block and protect you from harm. And help you to see the Son rightly. Fix your eyes on the glory of Christ crucified and the resurrection of the One who is a life-giving Spirit.
Love in Action
Read the verses above. Meditate on these scriptures and take 10 minutes to hear from God. Get my devotional workbook How to Trust God Today to help you overcome challenges and put your trust in God. After going through the journaling prompts, email or DM me on Instagram, I would love to hear your reflections, challenges, and questions.
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Create with the Creator with my coloring book JESUS IS MY JOY!
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