Tuesday, November 13, 2012


Get Moving!

The cold weather had arrived early. It was only October and we’d already had our first frost. I wore three layers, but still shivered as I sat at my desk. It was approaching noon, so I got up to fix lunch. I transferred the first load of laundry from the washer to the dryer and started the second load. As I did, I realized  I wasn’t cold anymore. Maybe because I’d been moving. 
 
“See any parallel here Ellen?” God asked. I smiled, recognizing how it mirrored my spiritual life, and doing what God had told me to. He’d told me to sit down and write. Write a devotion, work on my nonfiction work, or at least work on some writing exercises.  I’d been procrastinating by doing anything but that. I’d wash the dishes, vacuum the house, play a computer game. You get the idea. I’d done the same thing when it came to spending time with God in prayer or reading His Word. I’d suddenly have other things I suddenly “had to do.”

I’d fallen into Satan’s trap of distraction. Satan’s tricky that way. We tend to fall for Satan’s deception because he’s so crafty. None of the things I did was sinful, or bad in itself, but it was a waste of time and kept me from doing what God wanted.

We often do things that fill our time and they’re good, productive things. It makes us feel good about having accomplished them. But we need to focus on what God wants us to do. Each day we need to ask Him to help us hear His voice and to follow through with doing as He leads. When we do, we’re more productive and we feel better for not having wasted our time. More importantly, we’re obedient to God’s direction. All because we got moving.

4 comments:

Cathy Baker said...

Great post, Ellen! You're so right -- the enemy sets many traps of distractions often disguised as "good" things.

Celeste Vaughan said...

Procrastination and distraction are constantly attacking me. "Get Moving" is easier said than done, but God doesn't call us to do easy work. If it's easy, it's probably not what God is calling us to do! Great post Ellen!

Ellen Andersen said...

Gulp. Convicting, Celeste. I don't like the idea that God doesn't always call us to do the easy work. But you're right. Perhaps that's one way He makes us rely on Him instead of doing it all in our own strength.

Dee Dee said...

Is that why I'm cold? Guess I better start moving..... Thanks, Ellen, for a great analogy!