A subject came up today about what keeps us from receiving more than we do from God? This subject also came up recently with my wife and the Lord allowed me to share with her something that could not have come from my knowledge previously because I had so many distractions.
We are living in world that keeps us too clogged up with things that do not enable us to communicate with God or receive wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and discernment from Him. The word ”constipation” comes to mind.
I would like to list a few things that will help us understand how we allow the things of this world to dominate our lives.
Bondages: Addictions, pride, critical spirit, judgmental spirit, coveting, lustfulness, hoarding, taking offense, fear, depression, and worry to name a few.
Let’s take offenses as an example. What people say to us or about us can be very offensive to us. We can take the smallest offense and turn it into a mountain rendering us helpless for days because we mill it over and over in our mind. Do you really think there is time for the Lord under these circumstances?
Time consumers: Work, family functions, sports, TV, any form of entertainment, magazines (People, Oprah, Teen), and especially video games.
I recently allowed my grandson to play video games without restraint. He played for eight straight hours. We have to ask ourselves how can these distractions allow us to develop a relationship with God? How do any of the things listed bring glory to God?
How can we possibly hear from the Lord if we don’t have time for the Lord. We refuse to give up these distractions or change our ways. These distractions have become our gods because we have put our trust in these instead of God. Have we fallen away from God? The Scripture below refers to massive rebellion against God and His authority. Is the world of believers in rebellion?
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 (New King James Version)
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Getting back to the point I was originally trying to make in the first paragraph. When we eliminate all these distractions we open ourselves to lead by the Holy Spirit. When we fully surrender to God, we receive God’s wisdom, knowledge, understanding and discernment enabling us to live a righteous life. Without the distractions we can discern without a doubt what is right and what is wrong. We learn not to compromise what God says in His Word. We learn to apply what God says in His Word to our lives. All this can be available to us and along with it a special relationship with God.
We can’t have all that God has promised us because we have too much crude in our minds and lives. We need to do as it says in 2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Examine yourself 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. and go before the throne of God and ask Him to forgive you.
Ask God to help you eliminate your distraction issues to enable you to become closer with Him and to hear His voice. Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Come to Him. He is waiting to comfort you.
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