"The devil wins not if he makes you sin but if he simply gets you to take your eyes off God"
I've always said if its weird, unusual, or strange, its probably God. God is always speaking to us in the details of life and sometimes we think the distractions are the devil in the details whereas it might be God trying to get our attention in the moment if we will listen? God often speaks to us in the simple ordinary things of the day. Some distractions are from the enemy to get us to lose our focus on God and some distractions is God speaking to us trying to show us a divine appointment or a course correction we need to make. How many times did our schedule change all the sudden and we were not happy to find out later it kept us from some impending disaster?
Yesterday my youngest son was sick so I took him to the doctor. And for various parts of the day, I dealt with my wife's car that had a damaged wheel. I knew God was trying to show me something in all this but I was too frustrated in the moment to see it so I kept praying but kept missing it. This morning, I opened up a new book I am reading which has a poem in it by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I laugh at God's timing and humor as he showed me what was going on yesterday which I could not wrap my small brain around at the time. Here are some of her poetic words from her book:
"How to remain whole in the midst of the distractions of life; How to remain balanced, no matter what centrifugal forces tend to pull one off center; How to remain strong, no matter what shocks come in at the periphery and tend to crash the hub of the wheel . . . Perhaps a first step, is the simplification of life, in cutting out some of the distractions" (from her "Gift From the Sea").
I am dumbfounded and amazed at God's timing. My wife's hub cap is shattered beyond repair and I was asking yesterday what did this mean? I knew in my gut, my spiritual intuition, there was something more here God was trying to show me. Some would say that's a weird coincidence but I know how God always shows up at the right time in the right moment. So this morning was a holy moment for me.
God is showing me that I need to simplify my life. This is a time to pray, to listen, to wait upon God. We need to find both our focus and balance in the routines of life. God is teaching me how to handle distractions when they try to divert my attention from God. Surrender them, quiet your soul, and turn them to God. God is also teaching me to recognize that little disruptions in life may be heavenly signals for me to look, listen, and regain my spiritual balance in an off balanced world.
God is calling me to slow down, simplify, focus on Him and seek balance between solitude and community, rest and work, the inner life and the outer life. Beware of busyness, isolation, laziness, and burn out that robs our souls of their vitality and strength. It does not do much good to take care of everyone else's souls if we do not take care of our own soul (Song of Songs 1:6b).
The only way I can find balance in life is to spend intimate communion time with God. The only way I can find balance in this hectic world is to keep my focus and attention on Jesus. The only way I can find balance on earth is to receive heavenly power from God's Spirit to give me strength and direction for every day.
The days are coming when we must be ready for the next great task the Lord has for it. This will only happen when we have a clear vision and keep our life in balance and in step with the Holy Spirit. God is calling us all to a simple life in Christ. This means we are to have a singleness of heart. When you do that God will share the secrets of His heart with you.
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