This morning, I woke up thinking that it was Monday morning… then all of a sudden, I realized that it was Sunday and I needed to get out of bed… after all… I was preaching!

Today, I spoke on the importance of not getting distracted and gave four keys to staying focused.

To say that it is important that we learn to stay focused is an understatement of massive proportions. I believe that learning to stay focused is the most important success skill you can ever develop! You can overcome any obstacle if you can learn to and remain focused.

When you lose focus – you can become disillusioned, discouraged, and ultimately… defeated.

When you lose focus – you lose sight of your dreams and your goals.

To win in this life – we must stay focused!

In Hebrews 12:1-2, Paul says that we are in a race, and it’s not a short 100-meter dash! We are running a race that takes endurance and great strength, not to mention skill! Not only will you have to pace yourself, but you will have to get rid of the weights that are holding you back and slowing you down, the sin that besets you. In order to do this, we have to look to Jesus but also look away from what is distracting us.

Distractions are Satan’s way to get us to lose our focus!

On June 15, 2010, I was in an accident. I drove into an intersection and was sideswiped by a 1980s Ford extended work truck. My 2008 Honda Pilot spun nearly 360 degrees – the plastic that held the frame on… crumpled like a water bottle after a thirsty teen was done with it! (There was over $10,000 worth of damage)

As I pulled up to that stop light, my mind was whirling. If you’re not a woman, you won’t understand this, but… I had multiple conversations going on in my head. Between kids’ schedules and, attacks we were experiencing from people who had left the church, and issues I was having with staffing at work… all at once… it was mayhem! I couldn’t get my mind to be still. All of a sudden I shut off the music I was listening to, saw a green light and heard “drive” and so I did. This van came out of nowhere – the intersection was not clear by any means, but I could not see it. Everything was a blur.

To say the least… I was distracted.

When you are not focused… this is what can happen. The devil wants to pick you off, to get you to stop moving forward in your journey with God and will use anything he can to distract you. You may not be in a church where you get to experience the ups and downs of leading but what about family members being negative towards you, have you lost a job, having financial troubles, or are in poor health? These can all distract you and cause you to lose focus.

I allowed myself to lose focus and it wasn’t just for a split second, it was a building up of stresses over time that I didn’t properly deal with and it nearly hurt us really, really, really badly. Thankfully, my youngest son and I were OK, and my vehicle was just fixable damage.

Know that the devil is a liar – God has a specific calling on your life! Determine in your heart that you will not be moved! Stay focused!

Having done all… STAND! Now that takes a focused person!!

Ephesians 6:13 – That ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Philippians 3:14 – I press on toward the goal (the end one has in view) to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

No matter how impossible it looks, STAND and KEEP PRESSING towards your goal!

Come back to learn some keys to staying focused…