Distractions
These days I talk a lot about distractions.
Often, when we get a project or a task before us, we are overwhelmed by unexpected issues that are sent to distract us or totally remove our attention from the main task at hand or our main project.
I'm thinking of Nehemiah from the bible and his task of rebuilding the wall right now but I'll leave that till later.
I see this happen all the time. As a pastor I experience it. Oh let me say as a wife, as a mother and even as a mentor!
I see it with my friends, family and acquaintances. I see it with students, political leaders and other professionals as well.
Let me give this example. Few months ago, my husband and i had a visit from a couple we are mentoring. They used to worship with us at our church. They moved to another part of the city and became involved with another church.
Anyhow, Tim and Tanja (not their real names) became part of the leadership with the wife designated as the pastor.
To cut the long story short, they were bombarded with a lot of problems facing the church that they spent most of the time solving one issue or the other. Most of these problems had existed before they got to the church and needless to say the issues were energy sapping and not moving the church forward. Something was just not right!
Tim and Tanja were also being affected on their family relationship level as a result of their new roles in the new church. It was causing them some strains.
So as we got talking, It just occurred to me that this was a case of distraction! Hello! The enemy is not interested in these guys' assignment to pastor this church. He wants them to be busy with problems, arguments, etc. so the church can suffer and be irrelevant.
So I asked our friends " What does a pastor's job entail? What is the primary role of a pastor?
We got talking and drew attention to the need to focus on doing the work of a pastor, that of feeding the flock, nurture the flock, equip, etc.
What is the point here? It is important to focus on what you are employed to do instead of being everywhere and being the 'jack of all trade', master of none and overwhelmed by everything.
Another example was with my brother who got promoted to the post of the accounts chief back home. On resuming the job, he got overwhelmed by the amount of issues to be resolved and almost threw in the towel because of them. It was one problem after the other!
Again, it occurred to me that this is distraction at its best. The old distraction rearing it's ugly head again!
I asked my brother, "What are the roles and responsibilities of this job?"
"Get them out and let your focus and energy be directed towards them"
Squabbles, arguments, problems are often the first things we are confronted with when we are given a task. We must not be brought under their pressure. We must do our best to focus on the task we are called to do or employed to do.
As parents and pastors, my husband and i are bombarded with loads of distractions and things that want to take our focus from the calling and assignments we have been given by God.
I know that this happens to everybody and it happens in all works of life.
The point of all this is to not let things distract us from what is important. We must learn to say no to things or better still delegate to others so we can focus on the main tasks of our position or calling.
Watch this space for more blogs on distractions. In the main time, say no to distractions!
Luv n peace!
Yinka Opadiya
