You were running [the race] well; who has interfered and prevented you from obeying the truth? Gal 5:7
We can all agree that life is full of distractions. We go to bed and wake up with one every day, and it’s not your spouse, but your cell phone. Our sleep is interrupted by vibrations on our nightstands and subtle bells beeping with notifications from about 20 different apps. Apart from technology, are you able to recognize the people in your life that are influencing your attention?
I ask this because I’m aware that we get lost in our relationships. Things we once considered intolerable now become your normal. It’s like walking into a bathroom and noticing an odor only to not recognize it after you’ve been there for an extended period of time. Our senses are always readily alert to guard us against things that can harm us. It’s likely that we have been in a place way longer than originally expected. We have become desensitized to its harmful effects.
One of the greatest influences that will also take you off focus is PEOPLE. People you love, people you work with, or people who have no significance in your lives. Think about times when you have missed appointments because you got a phone call from a person that needed you. We often say that we are our greatest enemy, but there is also an influential enemy within the people among us.
So, why does this become a problem?
Daily you strive to fight against an inward impulse to do wrong. Whether it’s wrongful thinking, intentions, or actions, for some people, this sensation is not as intense, but for many that have had prolonged exposure to toxic relationships, they will find it hard not to succumb to the pressure to overtake from the truth. The truth that encourages you, that drives you to push harder, or that challenges you to reach higher. If you have gotten off the path and lost your way, I would suggest you look around at who is interfering in your approach to living according to your calling.
One act of disobedience can pervert the course of your life. That’s because it strokes continued acts of disobedience. This is why we shouldn’t get upset at people who choose to do the right thing at all times because they know that if they leave that position, then they will probably experience a wrecking ball of consequences in their lives.
What should you do?
Go back and look at where you lost your passion. Where did things stop? Imagine that you have lost a valuable piece of jewelry. After feverishly searching around you, you will probably stop and think about your last steps. You do this because you know there was a point in which you had it, and if you can replicate your steps, then you will likely find it. I challenge you to do the same with your life.
If you can’t measure it, you can’t determine if it’s progressing or depleting your life. Take a truthful inventory and search for your answers by looking within yourself. Try using these questions below to help you determine what might be interfering with your focus.
- What is the last moment that you can remember when everything went well?
- What was going on at that time?
- Who was in your life, and how do they influence you?
- Who came into your life and introduced another way of thinking?
- How did that person’s influence change the direction of your life?
Once you are able to identify where life began to go wrong, then you can start making some decisions to figure out what to do next. Then what’s next can be very hard to face. Why? Because it means you have to be honest about who in your life is intoxicating your mind. This also means that you may have to deal with the fact that you may lose someone you love. I’m not saying that everything about that person is bad, but the stinky part of them will wreak havoc in your life and significantly impair your ability to live out your calling.
How do I make a choice?
Simple, choose to live in your truth. Choose to be obedient to what’s in the inside, telling you to get back in the race. You were born with a world-changing status, but the world will never know you if you don’t run your course. Everyone that starts at the gun in a race doesn’t finish at the same time. Some quit when they become exhausted, and others take wings and move to higher heights.
Are you willing to quit on life because you won’t let go of someone who is deceptively ruining your chance of winning your race? It’s up to you to get in your race, run your race, and go for the winning chance to be a champion in your race.
