In this walk of life I have come to notice that there are many things that tend to trip us up from time to time. It seems it is never a smooth path. Things can be going fine, and before you know it, you trip on something that you didn't see coming. This could come from a bad decision made, or just out of the blue for no reason. As a believer I have come to learn a few things......
Perspective: It depends on how you view the situation. Do you spend time focusing on the Why/ How/ What/ How you feel/ Facts/ The Scene/ Etc. There are many factors that can come into play. I can rest knowing that God sees the entire picture and is not caught off guard. He knows the beginning, the middle, and the end. I can rest in knowing that God is the author of the story, and that he has a plan. Even if I don't understand it, I am to trust him because he already knows.
Focal Point: I believe having the correct focal point is key. We are to not let things distract us from what really matters, or what is really important. We are to remain fixed on Jesus and not take our eyes off of him. Do we Magnify the stumbling block or what our Savior can do? We have a choice!! We can be like Peter and keep our eyes on him in the middle of the storm and have faith, or we can look at the stumbling blocks and be overtaken by fear.
This post speaks to me in particular at my current stage in life. I have stumbling blocks that are currently trying to trip me up and distract me. I find myself praying and asking God to help me keep my eyes on him and not what is happening. I don't want to waste a day or a moment being distracted from the greatness of God. I feel the enemy will use things/situations/ and even people to distract us from certain blessings from God or even vision from the Holy Spirit. He sees what is coming and wants to trip you up and distract you from the very moment you have been blessed with. A particular story in the Bible comes into my head.
The Parable Of The Sower (Matthew 13:1-18)
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear." The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
I find myself asking God to help get the Word rooted deep inside me so when seeds come my way they are planted and rooted in good soil. I want the Word of God hidden deep in my heart so the enemy cannot take was was given to me. I want to have the fullness of God. In certain situations I find myself getting distracted on the worries of the word and I can see myself magnifying those areas by focusing on them. I believe self awareness is key. It is important to not waste too much time focusing on the wrong things. I see these things as temporary earthly struggles and I see them as stumbling road blocks. These are not "dead end" kind of stops. They are temporary road blocks. I need to figure out a way to get around them and drive over them. The Word of God can help me do this, and this is the ONLY way I can overcome these stumbling block.
In closing I am speaking to myself and anyone going through these stumbling blocks at the moment.
Have perspective in what you are looking at.
Look at who/what you are focusing on
Make sure you have the right kind of soil where the seeds can grow.
If you are a follower of Jesus then you want to make sure you are operating in the full capacity of who he created and designed for you to be. We cannot afford to waste a minute/moment/second/day/week/or year. We need to understand we have a specific purpose and goal and it is our job to not let things or circumstances distract us.
