Distractions of Time
What is distracting you?
Time. It is a word that we are all familiar with. Time. It is something that we cannot get back. Time. So how should you use it?
Have you ever thought about what you really wanted to do with your life and how much time it will take you? How much time does it take to find your divine design and where do you begin?
My divine design is a work in progress and yours is too. From the day that you were made in your mothers womb (see Psalms 139) your Heavenly Father had a divine design in mind just for you and ever since the day you were born the enemy has been trying to distract you from it. I am speaking from personal experience. Since the beginning of the year I have truly felt led to write and speak of God's love, Jesus' forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit. I have been so busy with other things that I've only committed to write and send out one blog and one video per month. I cannot begin to tell you how difficult it has been for me to just accomplish that.
What makes it difficult is one word: Distractions.
Distractions for me are: my own comfort, my selfish desires, food, exercise, my job, and my family. Now, some of these things are good aren't they? I need food, exercise, my job and my family, so how can good things be distractions? I think that things can become imbalanced. If all we concentrate on is our own comfort then we won't get off the couch to exercise or we won't communicate with our children when they need us to. If all we concentrate on is food and what we are going to eat next or if we overindulge then it is going to cause us to be lazy, depressed, or guilty. If all we concentrate on is work, work, work then our relationships are going to suffer. If all I concentrate on is spending time with my family then the laundry is going to pile up and the dirty dishes will overflow in the sink. There are so many things that require our time. How are we going to be able to fulfill our divine design or even take the time to figure out what that design is? Everything requires time.
I believe God told me that my divine design is to share his love, his words of wisdom and Jesus' truth of forgiveness to help others figure out their divine design so that they can have a relationship with their Heavenly Father. I want you to know that you are loved by God and that God has a divine design specifically for you. So what is getting in the way of you pursuing your divine design? What are your distractions?
Think about your check register. Why do you have one? You have one so you can keep up with how you're spending your money so you don't spend more than what you have.
Do you count calories? If so, why do you count them? You count them so you don't overeat and gain weight. (at least that is why I count calories)
Do you plan out your time like you do your financial budget or your calorie count? I challenge you to seriously sit down and ask your Heavenly Father what his divine design is for you. What do you really want? Ask yourself this question and then close your eyes for 5 minutes and meditate on it, "Where do I see myself in 10 years?" Do you want to have peace and joy in all circumstances? Then you need a relationship with your Heavenly Father. Do you want to be physically and mentally fit? Then you need to spend time figuring out how you are going to do that. Do you want time growing the relationships with your children? Then you need to make time.
I challenge you this week to see how much time activities really take like driving to school, going to work, cleaning the bathroom, cooking supper, watching t.v., praying, making money, resting, being fit, studying, being in a relationship, praying for others, learning a new skill, playing, organizing a closet, paying bills, grocery shopping, and taking a nap.
The devil wants your time. He wants to keep you distracted from finding and living out your divine design. Do you have time to do the things you know that he has called you to do? Do you have time for those very, very important relationships like with your Heavenly Father, husband, children, grandchildren, and friends?
I was in the shower the other day and I felt a still, small voice whisper in my ear, "tithe your time." It was a profound whispering statement. I said it out loud, "tithe my time?" The phrase made me start thinking about the verses in the Bible in Malachi Chapter 3:10-12 it talks about bringing your tithes into the storehouse so that there will be enough food in his Temple. It promises that if you do, he will open the windows of heaven for you and he will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in. Tithe basically means 10th and most people that read or preach these verses are talking about tithing a 10th of your income to benefit the missions of God.
So what would tithing your time look like? I believe it would be making sure that you make time to do the things you know that God has called you to do. It may start out very simple like taking 10 minutes a day to read his word and have a conversation with him (pray). Or it could be taking your prayer life to the next level by starting a prayer journal. The most important thing you can do with your time is to seek the Lord's divine design for you, ask him what that design is and then take the time to listen to his soft answer to you. When he whispers to you, write it down, ponder it, consider it, do it, and do not allow any distractions to keep you from it. I believe if you take the time to do what is most important to your Heavenly Father then he will bless your time for it.
When you pray be confident in knowing that God made you and he does indeed have a divine design for you and that when you seek to know it, he will undoubtedly speak to you about it. He has already been speaking to you since the day you were born. Are you taking the time to seek him and listen? Seek and listen to him, it will be well worth your TIME!
Time. It is a word that we are all familiar with. Time. It is something that we cannot get back. Time. So how should you use it?
Have you ever thought about what you really wanted to do with your life and how much time it will take you? How much time does it take to find your divine design and where do you begin?
My divine design is a work in progress and yours is too. From the day that you were made in your mothers womb (see Psalms 139) your Heavenly Father had a divine design in mind just for you and ever since the day you were born the enemy has been trying to distract you from it. I am speaking from personal experience. Since the beginning of the year I have truly felt led to write and speak of God's love, Jesus' forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit. I have been so busy with other things that I've only committed to write and send out one blog and one video per month. I cannot begin to tell you how difficult it has been for me to just accomplish that.
What makes it difficult is one word: Distractions.
Distractions for me are: my own comfort, my selfish desires, food, exercise, my job, and my family. Now, some of these things are good aren't they? I need food, exercise, my job and my family, so how can good things be distractions? I think that things can become imbalanced. If all we concentrate on is our own comfort then we won't get off the couch to exercise or we won't communicate with our children when they need us to. If all we concentrate on is food and what we are going to eat next or if we overindulge then it is going to cause us to be lazy, depressed, or guilty. If all we concentrate on is work, work, work then our relationships are going to suffer. If all I concentrate on is spending time with my family then the laundry is going to pile up and the dirty dishes will overflow in the sink. There are so many things that require our time. How are we going to be able to fulfill our divine design or even take the time to figure out what that design is? Everything requires time.
I believe God told me that my divine design is to share his love, his words of wisdom and Jesus' truth of forgiveness to help others figure out their divine design so that they can have a relationship with their Heavenly Father. I want you to know that you are loved by God and that God has a divine design specifically for you. So what is getting in the way of you pursuing your divine design? What are your distractions?
Think about your check register. Why do you have one? You have one so you can keep up with how you're spending your money so you don't spend more than what you have.
Do you count calories? If so, why do you count them? You count them so you don't overeat and gain weight. (at least that is why I count calories)
Do you plan out your time like you do your financial budget or your calorie count? I challenge you to seriously sit down and ask your Heavenly Father what his divine design is for you. What do you really want? Ask yourself this question and then close your eyes for 5 minutes and meditate on it, "Where do I see myself in 10 years?" Do you want to have peace and joy in all circumstances? Then you need a relationship with your Heavenly Father. Do you want to be physically and mentally fit? Then you need to spend time figuring out how you are going to do that. Do you want time growing the relationships with your children? Then you need to make time.
I challenge you this week to see how much time activities really take like driving to school, going to work, cleaning the bathroom, cooking supper, watching t.v., praying, making money, resting, being fit, studying, being in a relationship, praying for others, learning a new skill, playing, organizing a closet, paying bills, grocery shopping, and taking a nap.
The devil wants your time. He wants to keep you distracted from finding and living out your divine design. Do you have time to do the things you know that he has called you to do? Do you have time for those very, very important relationships like with your Heavenly Father, husband, children, grandchildren, and friends?
I was in the shower the other day and I felt a still, small voice whisper in my ear, "tithe your time." It was a profound whispering statement. I said it out loud, "tithe my time?" The phrase made me start thinking about the verses in the Bible in Malachi Chapter 3:10-12 it talks about bringing your tithes into the storehouse so that there will be enough food in his Temple. It promises that if you do, he will open the windows of heaven for you and he will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in. Tithe basically means 10th and most people that read or preach these verses are talking about tithing a 10th of your income to benefit the missions of God.
So what would tithing your time look like? I believe it would be making sure that you make time to do the things you know that God has called you to do. It may start out very simple like taking 10 minutes a day to read his word and have a conversation with him (pray). Or it could be taking your prayer life to the next level by starting a prayer journal. The most important thing you can do with your time is to seek the Lord's divine design for you, ask him what that design is and then take the time to listen to his soft answer to you. When he whispers to you, write it down, ponder it, consider it, do it, and do not allow any distractions to keep you from it. I believe if you take the time to do what is most important to your Heavenly Father then he will bless your time for it.
When you pray be confident in knowing that God made you and he does indeed have a divine design for you and that when you seek to know it, he will undoubtedly speak to you about it. He has already been speaking to you since the day you were born. Are you taking the time to seek him and listen? Seek and listen to him, it will be well worth your TIME!
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