Don't Be Distracted - Luke 9:51-56 - Part II

Don’t Be Distracted - Luke 9:51-56 - Part II

This brief passage teaches us three main points about the necessity of discipline and focus.  First, destiny requires resolution.  In the fifty-first verse, the Lord Jesus Christ “resolutely sets out for Jerusalem.”  Practically speaking, His will equals the hardness of stone.  He turns his face life flint.  He does not question His destiny because of His firm clarity about His mission.  Second, determination necessitates attention to practical details.  The fifty-second verse demonstrates that He “sent messengers on ahead” to prepare for His arrival in the holy city.  Third, avoiding distractions is essential to achieving destiny.  The fifty-third and fifty-fourth verses detail how the disciples allow themselves to be distracted by their feelings towards and reactions to the Samaritan people. 

By definition, destiny must have eternal value.  In order to sift through the myriad good things that you can do, you must ask the question, “Will this activity have any effect on eternity?”  Moreover, your passions and purpose often hint toward your destiny.  What is the reason for which you were born?  Is there anything that you love doing with such passion that you feel you were born to do it?  Is there an activity upon which you would bet your life?

Learning to say “NO” to the various distractions of life is critical to cultivating the discipline and focus necessary to fulfill your destiny.  The writings of Norman Vincent Peale advise people to write down their goals and dreams with dates on an index card.  He suggests that you carry that card on your person each day.  Review them periodically in order to saturate your mind, heart, and will.  Saying “NO to those offers that are not a part of your destiny will become automatic.  In essence, this index card becomes a filter for the distractions of life.  It empowers you to say “YES” only to opportunities consistent with your personal mission statement. 

Achieving one’s destiny is a matter of daily choices.  As an undergraduate student, I was far too involved in many extracurricular activities.  Instead, I should have been in the library reading, studying and writing.  Now, that I have been working for twenty-one years, I wish for the chance to devote myself to full-time study and reflection.  As a pastor with the obligations of marriage, family and a mortgage, that simply is not going to happen again.  Yet, had I been more focused and disciplined as a collegian, I could have graduated with a Phi Beta Kappa key and equivalent honors.  Full-time undergraduate and graduate school study is given exclusively for the purpose of learning theory and training the mind.  I cite that “failure” as a lesson to better utilize my time and talents today in order to actualize my destiny.  In addition, I recall my decision to forego applying for a promotion because the job would have taken my life in direction that was inconsistent with the Lord’s will.  Had I received that promotion, I would have devoted myself to a job that engendered very little passion within my heart.  A simple question, “Does it fit,” is a prism for making daily choices to accomplish your destiny.

Determination concretizes itself in preparation.  “Prior preparation prevents poor performance.”  Homework is a reality of life.  Success requires preparation and homework.  Your resolve can only be detected by your daily willingness to direct your talents and time to the enjoyable grind of working toward success.  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s immortal poem, The Ladder of St. Augustine, says “the height of great men, reached and kept; were not obtained in sudden flight; but they while their companions slept; toiled upward in the night.” 

Incidentally, work need not be hard in order to be meaningful.  We can learn to work smart instead of hard.  Things do not have to be difficult.  You can enjoy work particularly when you are doing something that you feel matters substantially and eternally.  Work can be ministry in the truest sense of the word.  We should work out of our passions instead of mere interests.  “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.”

Determination also requires the practice of spiritual disciplines.  A definite link exists between spirituality and success.  Discipline separates the winners from the losers.  Talent and potential are merely the beginning.  People who possess such traits are not guaranteed achievement.  In fact, myriad persons with a lot less talent outpace competitors because they have more discipline.  The people in the latter category foster the spiritual commitment to develop internal empowerment that enables them to persevere until they achieve success.  Self-evaluation, prayer, affirmation, meditation, Bible study, imaging and daily quiet time are significant spiritual disciplines that highly ambitious people practice to catapult themselves to the highest levels of excellence.