Distractions from the Divine Will of God

Things are going to continually attempt to grab our attention. They will seek to draw our gaze from the Will of God. Even people with the best intentions can divert our focus off of the Will of God. And the question is, will we take a stand to stay on task or will we let others draw us away. Oh I wish that this wasn’t an issue for me, but boundaries have not been my strong suit. And at the end of the day, it is a question of my loyalty to the Will of God. OUCH!

Even while I have been writing this I have been tested on this. Calls, phone notifications, crisis and “urgencies” have popped up like groundhogs in a garden. Munch, munch…chew, chew…! And I have not done it well. It is a test to strengthen my resolve. Will you lay down the Will of God for your life, to deal with someone else’s happenings? This has been the question.

Distractions from the Will of God

My only solution to distractions is to lean hard into the Will of God. I seek His Life and strength to remain connected to His own Will. Personally I can be a pushover, but the Life of the Son seeks only to please His Father in me. I can let His Life blossom and flow and bring pleasure to the Father.

So does this mean I am off the hook? No, usually what this means is that I have taken a stand and embrace some confrontation. My “NO” has to be secure towards all that would take me from His Will. This is a highly uncomfortable space. Feelings get hurt and people feel slighted, especially because I have been such a huge open door to walk through.

Loyalty to the Will of God

Jesus Himself faced this. I know two scenarios right off the bat that display this principle of distractions. The first was when Jesus was a boy. He was at the Temple, following the Will of God, sitting listening and asking questions to the religious leaders. They sat amazed while his mother and father scampered about searching for their Son. After finding Him Mary questioned Him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” Young Jesus responded, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” The Will of God was the most important thing, even if it scared and offended His parents.

The second time I am thinking about is when Jesus was at the wedding in Cana. Mary heard they had run out of wine and, she came to her Son and asked, “They have no wine; can’t you do something about it?” Jesus replied, “My dear one, don’t you understand that if I do this, it will change nothing for you, but it will change everything for me! My hour of unveiling my power has not yet come.” Mary then went to the servers and told them, “Whatever Jesus tells you, do it!” So did her will win over the Will of God? No, I believe not. There was a merger of her will and the Will of the Father but Jesus’ loyalty was to His Father.

The Will of God Will be Revealed

God knew all along that the first public miracle would be displayed at a wedding because it was a type and shadow of the powerful preparation of a Divine Wedding for His Son. It isn’t like God can’t use others to reveal His Will, it just has to be our choice to follow our Shepherd by choice. Christ followed the Will of His Father and now desires to do the same in us. Our commitment to His Will will bring forth His beautiful destiny and expression of His love and Life. The stakes are too high to allow ourselves to falter.

Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.
John 4:34 NIV