Positioned to Soar III:
Focusing Attraction
Nehemiah
6:1-6:19
The
power of focusing on a task and see it through is the secret for achievement.
The quality of such focus however depends on the importance and nature of the
task. You can focus on a noble cause or a base one. God’s plan for your life
will unfold when put focus on the important things such as growing in knowing
Him. Do you focus on what is important,
best and eternal?
Holding
on to your focus is not always easy because of many alternative attractions
pulling you in many directions.
Discipline is ability to hold or keep focus. To hold focus you have to overcome
distractions. A distraction is anything
that keeps you from seeing or focusing on the right target. Distraction is
therefore the opposite of focus. Distractions are attractions that sway your
focus from the important attraction (s). The enemy will use anything he can,
especially worthwhile things to distract or divert your focus. Before he discourages you, he will distract
your focus from Christ first. Whenever you are discouraged and despairing check
what has happened to your focus. A sustained distraction is a detour that
diversion from what is best.
This
message is about focusing your attractions. Focusing your attractions is overcoming
distractions in order to pay full attention on what is important. Distractions are attractions that pull you
away from your important attractions. Distractions can have such a high cost
that for example, many countries have legislations that bans the use of cell
phones. They have not done much about
a bee that flies into the car or a driver that does makeup in the rear view
mirror. Such practices may cause fatal motor vehicle accidents. Any other
distraction pauses similar risk. For example, you can be distracted from
listening to the message in church by preoccupation with who is here, who is
not here, and what you will eat when you get home and so on.
Distractions
are all around us. Their sources are too numerous to mention and monitor. They
include things like:
Life busyness. You can lose your focus on the bigger
picture of what God is doing by letting your life become overcrowded. You can become be so busy and occupied with
so many things so that you do not have time to think about your souls or souls
of others until it is too late. In your everyday busyness, are you able to
notice Jesus when he appears and calls your attention?
Life storms. Peter
walked on water but when his eyes where diverted from Christ to the waves he
became afraid and began to sink (Matthew 14:28-31). The same storms he was heroically walking on
almost swallowed him when his focus shifted.
Storms of life come with fearful experiences that discourage and can
leave behind emotional pain and disarray.
Experiences or circumstances that cause trouble, steal joy and stretch
faith. You however cannot sink when your
eyes are stayed on Christ (Isaiah 26:3).
Often storms are a sign of imminent breakthrough. Many people give up at
the edge of their breakthrough.
Nehemiah
overcame distractions by simply identifying, monitoring and concentrating on
serving God by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem,
which were his important attractions. As a result, he completed the project of
rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem
in fifty-two days. He kept on building.
He would not be distracted. In Nehemiah
6:1-19 we find examples of some of the distractions he had to overcome.
i) Interim successes. Nehemiah had
achieved so much progress that it was easy to become complacent. He however
refused to be distracted by having built the walls. He realised that the gates
to the walls were not yet in place. Good is enemy of the best. Counterfeit is
enemy of the genuine. False arrivals are the enemy to final arrivals. Without the gates, there was no full protection.
Anyone could just come and go as they wished.
Isaiah spoke of walls of salvation and gates of praise (Isaiah
60:18). A believer without praise is
like the walls Nehemiah was building before he hung the gates. Distractions
come to keep you from a fulfilled, fruitful
and meaning life that overflows in praises to God
ii) Seemingly good opportunities. Not all offers that
sound good are right. Many are distracted by such opportunities. Nehemiah stood
firm on godly priorities (Neh. 6:1-4). He showed wisdom and discernment to know
that building the walls was the best thing to do. He said, "I am carrying
on a great project and I can not go down. Why should the work stop while I
leave it and go down to you?". He
had been invited by people who previously had opposed and threatened the
rebuilding of the walls to a meeting in one of the villages on the plain of
Ono. It was like being invited to a vacation. Ono plain were a rich with trees
and water ideal for a getaway vacation. However, there was a catch; the enemy
attractions always have bait and a hook. The plain was a full day’s travel from
Jerusalem. Therefore,
the invitation meant a one day of distraction. Not only did it take Nehemiah
from the work but also it exposed him to a plot and harm. Distraction is persistent. Nehemiah gave the
same answer to four attempts to get him to comply. Its not easy often with each
attempt it is easy to weaken or dilute the answer. To him Ono rang as ‘Oh No’.
You
also need to ask the Lord to give you wisdom and discernment and overcome
persistent distractions. Paul exhorted believers to fix their eyes on Jesus and
lay aside not only their sins but also their weights (Hebrews 12:1-2). A weight
keeps you from the best you could be doing - a weight is a good thing that begins
to work against the best and your purpose.
iii) Unfounded rumors. Nehemiah had to overcome the distractions of
unfounded rumors that were going around discrediting and maligning him. You also will have to overcome slander,
unfair remarks, gossip, criticisms and rumours that have no basis but only
meant to hurt your reputation. False accusations come with exaggeration and
inaccuracy. This happens because it is passed from person to person each time
taking on a new form. Even the strongest can be devastated but Nehemiah
entrusted himself to him who judges justly through prayer (Neh. 6:5-9; 1 Pet.
2:23). The rumors could have resulted in him losing his head but he retained
his focus. Like gossip the letter alleging he was leading a political uprising
was not sealed so that the message would spread like a wild fire. Like other
false accusations, the source was never declared. The rumors began by ‘It is
reported that …’. Be careful not to entertain messages without a
signature. Gossip is something you are
quick to pass on only to discover it was not true.
iv) Spiritual defilement (Nehemiah
6:10-14). The enemy never quits. Nehemiah’s detractors did not give up. Having
found him thus far unyielding to repeated pressure they decided to get him on religious terms and turf. Nehemiah
however persisted in his refusal because he knew what his priorities were.
Working with a prophet Shemaiah, the prophet invited Nehemiah to hide with him
in the temple holy place. Doing so would be a transgression (Numbers 18:7). The
place was off limits to all but priests except you accidentally killed somebody
(Numbers 35:6-15). Nehemiah could have reasoned that his life was in danger,
after all no one would notice the doors would be closed. He however would
displease God by going into the holy place and undermine himself as a leader
among the people if Israel.
Temptation
often brings sin clothed in fear - False Evidence Appearing Real. Nehemiah
grappled with questions such as what if you die. What if the wall, having come
this far, never is completed? You may
also be facing temptations clothed in questions such as what if I never find a
job, what if I never find the right person, what if nobody else or another
opportunity comes along, what if it costs me my bonus or promotion. On and on
it goes. Fear is a form of focus that robs you of the best. Sin hinders
fellowship with God (Psalm 66:18). The best way not to be distracted is by
being more attracted to those things that are on the heart of God. Nehemiah saw the greater value and importance
of the work he was doing. You will also
overcome if you can see value in keeping focus on the best. Christ is the best.
Message by Dr. Kurai
Chitima.
South Africa
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