Divine Direction: Discerning the Voice of God in a Data-Driven WorldSýnishorn

Distractions and Divine Direction

To recognize and discern the voice of God while open to many mediums and channels of communication is one of the modern-day challenges of our spiritual walk with God. In the Old Testament, Prophets are the only medium God uses to communicate. Today, we have several IT tools and Apps competing with the voice and place of God in our lives.

The same phone we have our Bible App on is the same we have our social media apps on. The same phone that gives us Bible verse notifications is the same phone that notifies us of various trending news.

You have to fight for your focus. You may be distracted by something good but not necessarily helpful. You have to intentionally create an atmosphere that makes it easy for you to hear God. Manage your distractions, and if possible, eliminate them.

Distractions can be very subtle. We have to be wise and sensitive to recognize them. What the devil cannot destroy, he distracts. After the fall, God asked Adam, “Who told you that you are naked?” In other words, have you accommodated a conversation you shouldn’t? Have you given room to something in your life apart from my voice? Maybe you and I should also ask ourselves:

Who told you you can’t become the best? Who distracts you from your God-given assignment? Who is living rent-free in your head but contributing nothing positive or healthy? Who keeps reminding you about your limitations? Who told you you can’t become more than what you currently are? Who shifted your focus from the dream God has given you? You need to fight for your focus and get back on track.

To keep God’s line of communication open, a pure heart, a clean spirit, and an active life of obedience are necessary. There is a limit to the strength of logic in the affairs of life. Jer. 33:2-3 says,

“This is God’s Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: ‘Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.”

There are things we do not know and will never be able to figure out on our own. We can only stretch our cognitive ability so far. There is a realm we need to tap into to receive what logic or natural intelligence cannot deliver. It’s called the realm of revelation. There is more to life than meets the eye.

Distractions will hold you back from becoming who God destined you to be. Greatness comes at a cost, and one of the prices you pay is focus.