Hebrew 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
“If the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy”. When a person is too busy serving God, preaching and working that they don’t find time to pray, fast and spend time in the presence of the Lord, we can be rest assured that the monkey of distraction is on their back. The monkey of distraction that diverts and derails us from our destiny is a garrulous chatter. It will make people run from one appointment to another, steal sleep and overwhelm them with activities.
Backsliders who slip into sin at the pinnacle of their ministry calling will tell us that they did not even notice the monkey of distraction that jumped on their back. They were so busy that money, materialism and moral failure crept in unnoticed. Chronic stress deactivates the prefrontal cortex of the brain that is responsible for rational decision-making, emotional regulation, and moral reasoning. Pressure pushes people to act impulsively and selfishly.
It was the pressure of popularity and power that lured Peter to heed to the monkey of distraction. Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! (Matthew 16:23), as he was reacting impulsively and selfishly and not in purity or humility. It was the stress of serving Jesus and His disciples that pushed Martha to trade the inferior with the superior. “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one (Luke 10:41-42). Similarly, the men who travelled with Jesus 24/7 had ego clashes about who was the greatest. Jesus pointed at the monkey of greed and pride that was distracting them from servanthood and said, “Whoever is the least among you is the greatest” (Luke 9:48).
Get rid of the monkey of distraction:
- Worldliness: The talkative monkey on our back will overemphasize on money, materialism, power and popularity.
- Worry: Worry will distract us from our vision.
- Wardom: A spirit of wardom and strife destroys destiny.
“Drive out the monkey of distraction.”
Prayer: Precious Saviour, help me to resist the monkey of distraction that derails, and drive it out. Amen.
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