Posts Tagged Events

Jesus had just finished “slipping away from the temple grounds,” making an interesting, evasive move as the Jews were gathering stones. One verse later in John 9:1, having just come from the temple arguing with the Jewish leaders, we find Jesus, with razor-sharp focus, right back at his mission. This is when he finds the man blind from birth. He spits in the dirt, putting the resulting “mud” on the man’s eyes and tells him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. When the man does as told, he is healed.

Allow me to back up in that story. I don’t know about you, but if I had just finished a massive argument with a bunch of hypocritical, religious tyrants ending with intent to kill me, the first thing on my mind would not be to strike up conversation with a total stranger about the healing power of God. Yet this is exactly
what Jesus did. He remained true to His mission, keeping perfect perspective, never missing an opportunity.

So why do we so easily get distracted and sidetracked, wandering away from the place we know God wants us? Asking myself this question, I realize I get wrapped up in everyday junk. Too often I find I’ve been simmering all day (or longer) in unprocessed irritation, unable to quickly put my finger on the source. Fact is I’ve let too much time pass without identifying and dealing with my anger. Often the result is taking my frustration out on someone that had nothing to do with it. I can tell you I’m guilty of coming home and snapping at my wife or being disengaged with my kids, when it was something from work—unidentified—I brought through the door to my home like a Trojan horse.

This got me thinking about what practical step I could take. Something simple. Maybe a checkpoint question I could ask myself to quickly identify issues and avoid sinking into yet another disconnected spell.  So I came up with “WAIT” for “Why am I tense?” The idea is this: As soon as I am hit with something that is upsetting, take a brief moment, ask myself this question, and identify the source.

This year’s ATG theme is “Total Surrender,” and as I continue to give Christ full access to my heart, striving for 100% surrender, He is always faithful in uncovering new places for me to give to Him. This is just one area God’s working on in me—perhaps you are able to relate. I encourage you as you go about your day to keep vigilant to the ways the Enemy can distract you from your mission.