For the most part, I am an open book. I tell stories that show my shortcomings, my struggles, and even my strange quirks. That’s all second nature for me. I seldom have shame when it comes to sharing a story. However, there is one major milestone in my life that I avoid talking about but not because I am ashamed of it. Honestly, I am quite proud of it. It’s just that I am frightened that it’s too soon to share. Regardless of my resistance, here we go. 

I recently lost 130 pounds. I hear you saying, “Wow! That’s like a whole person worth of fat.” First of all, rude. Second of all, you’re right. For years, I knew that I needed to take my health seriously. I was watching the scale move upwards and my energy levels plummet downwards. It was getting dangerous. Common sense said I needed to take control of my health, but I just didn’t know where to start. This lead me to start seeing a doctor who specialized in nutrition. My entire world got turned upside down in one session. I remember him looking over my normal weekly diet and saying something to the extent of this: “You need to eat twenty-times more vegetables and stop eating biscuits for breakfast.” I cringed at the thought of kale instead of a Chic-fil-a biscuit, but I held onto every word he shard. It may sound silly, but I had to learn how to eat healthy. I had no idea how to count my nutrients. I had no idea that some of my favorite foods were basically poison. I also had no idea how difficult this diet was going to be. 

Diet is all about discipline. I wasn’t able to flip a switch to remove all junk food from the world. How convenient would that be? I simply had to be more focused on my goals than on my favorite flavors. There were dietary distractions around every corner. I still had to drive past fast food restaurants. I still had to go to cookouts and parties. I still had to babysit my nephew and watch him eat pizza while I ate tuna fish over a bed of lettuce. Learning to be healthy was hard. However, it was a life-changing decision. 

Distractions desperately tried to get in the way of my decision, though. The same was true for Jonah. 

READ: Jonah 1:3-4
“But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.”

God gave Jonah a big calling, but then, Jonah hopped upon a boat that was heading in the opposite direction. When God’s trying to do something big in your life, there is always another boat, and there is always another distraction. This passage says he started going towards Tarshish, which was over a thousand miles away from Nineveh. It was literally the opposite side of the known world. He didn’t just try to run from God’s calling; he tried to get as far away as humanly possible. 

When you set out to make positive change in your life, there is always a distraction. When you go on a diet, donuts show up on your kitchen counter. When you choose to stop gossiping, the juiciest drama seems to happen. When you decide to study scripture daily, Netflix drops a new series. When you are trying to save money, you find a great deal on your dream jacket. The devil wants to destroy you by distracting you. Just like Jonah, if God is calling you to something big, there will be an option to head in the opposite direction. 

From hours of slime videos on Youtube to streamable shows about kids running from evil dragon-creatures to a culture that’s obsessed with other’s opinions, we live in a world that’s addicted to distraction. We are more distracted than ever, and those distractions are keeping us from experiencing our destiny. 

What is distracting you from your destiny? Maybe people are pulling you backwards. Maybe every time you make some progress, you get roped back into the same bad habits. Maybe your own obsession with people’s perception of you has paralyzed your progress. Whatever the distraction, you must force yourself forward with the help of Jesus. 

When you run from your calling, you are also running away from all God has for you. There is an outstanding outcome on the other side of your obedience. Push forward. Run towards your calling. Push past the distractions. You’ll never achieve big things when you’re easily distracted by small things. Your persistence will pay off. 

TALK IT OUT 
Go through these questions with your circle. Be honest. Be open. Talk through the tough stuff.
Q1: What’s something you’ve accomplished that wouldn’t have been possible without discipline? 
Q2: What are your biggest distractions from using your time productively? 
Q3: What are your biggest distractions from moving in the direction God wants for you?
Q4: What are some ways to shift your focus towards the positive things God wants for you? 
Q5: What one thing you can do this week to avoid distraction and begin focusing on positive things instead?