Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.  Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.  Proverbs 4:25-26 (NIV)

Have you ever had times in your day—or in your life—when one distraction after another seemed to get you off track?

Maybe it was during your work day when you had a deadline to meet and the phone rings…ten times.  Or a coworker drops by to ask a few questions.

You know what I’m talking about, right?  After each distraction it becomes more difficult to refocus on what you were originally trying to accomplish!

How about those of us who are in Christian ministry?  We experience  this all the time.  Sometimes it looks like a tactic of satan to undermine God’s work.

These “distractions” seem to come most often to those who are actually making a difference.  If we are doing nothing, the enemy seems to leave us alone.

These distractions can be large or small.  Sometimes the small ones do the most damage because we don’t readily recognize them as troublesome—until we experience their cumulative effect.

This type of distraction can take the form of people grumbling or being judgmental.  Easy to ovetlook early on, but over time this divisiveness can undermine a ministry from within.

Larger distractions can include health issues, relationship problems, or financial difficulties, among others.  You may ask, “How do I stay focused on what God has called me to do in these types of circumstances?”

God’s Word gives us the answer.  We are told to “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.  Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.”

In other words, don’t get distracted!