Have You Ever Had One of Those Weeks?

At the time of this writing, I was nearing the end of one of the most distraction-filled weeks that I’ve had in recent memory. I began with a to-do list of about 26 items, and ended the week with two more items on that list!

Every day brought unexpected events and challenges, and absolutely nothing went according to plan. A one-hour task took three hours, while other tasks were interrupted with urgent matters and sudden changes in plans. Have you ever had a week like that?

For me, the biggest threat in that kind of season is the potential loss of focus. I can get pulled away from my primary purpose, and my mind begins trying to process everything — to the point of being overwhelmed.

This can happen in our spiritual lives, as well. A quick scan through local news and social media sometimes can feed our fears and foster questions about the power, sovereignty and sufficiency of God. The cacophony of the unexpected can overtake our minds and give rise to doubts, and then start chipping away at our spiritual well-being.

In Isaiah 26 (ESV), we read these words: “You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”
Living this life well begins with our minds, doesn’t it? We need to get up every day and decide what our faith and trust will look like, and in whom or what we will trust. Then, we need to let that decision control our emotions. If we don’t, our emotions will spend the day telling us what to fear.

Begin tomorrow (or restart today) with a prayer like this: “God, I choose to believe and trust that you are and will always be my guide, my protector and my savior.” Then, choose to live that way.
Distractions will come, but arm yourself with the peace of God’s sovereignty and the hope of his complete sufficiency for everything you need. When distractions come, remind yourself of God’s purpose for you, and keep your mind focused on him.

Stop and pray — the urgent things can wait a minute — and ask God to show you how he is at work in your life and around you. Then, trust that his answer will bring wisdom and peace.

– Steve Coleman is an associate pastor and worship pastor at Wildwood Baptist Church in Acworth.