OVERCOMING DISTRACTION (5): LEAVE THE ‘NO DEMAND’ ZONE

My parents told a story about how my brother fell sick as a little boy. It was late in the night in Eruwa when they got a referral to the city of Ibadan. Dad would not take chances to wait till morning. They drove that same night, for almost two hours to get to the city. Why? Life was at stake. There was a demand and a deadline to meet. 

If you will overcome distraction, you must constantly be under the demand of destiny and be conscious that there is a deadline. 

If you will overcome distraction, make sure you do not live in the ‘no demand’ zone of life. The language of committed people is “I must”. They intentionally place a demand on themselves. 

Jesus kept using the words “I must” to define his life’s journey and assignment. 

• He voiced it out at the age of twelve. He was not going to have a sloppy and experimental teenage life. He knew what he wanted to do as early as possible and he stayed committed to it. 

“And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭49‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

• He knew that times was not on his side. He did not have the luxury of time to be wasteful with any day. 

“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”

‭‭John‬ ‭9‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

• He took His task with the same passion and drive. He knew He had grounds to cover. There were cities to reach. 

“but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭43‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

• He took reaching individuals with the same passion, he took reaching cities. He was committed whether it was a one-on-one conversation like that of the Samaritan Woman, visiting a home like that of Zacchaeus or reaching an entire city like that of Samaria. 

“And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”

‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

See your life as a kingdom project. Do you know the way that you would usually have deadlines for your project work? That is the same way you should take life. Here, God is your supervisor. 

When David slipped into the “No Demand” zone of life, he ran into trouble that led to other troubles. He saw what he was not meant to see and he did what he was not meant to do. He should have been on a major project of leading the nation to battle but he stayed back. When you are in the wrong place, you will lose battles that you had no business fighting in the first place. 

When Dinah slipped into the ‘No Demand” zone of life, she took a walk that began a slip into a battle she should not have been fighting. 

What demands are you leaving under?

What deadlines do you have? 

temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa