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Time and again, Jesus reminded his disciples about his and their mission. The day he called his first disciples, they were casting a net into a lake. He told them, “Come, follow me. I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).

After violating all cultural mores and speaking with a Samaritan woman at a well, Jesus told his disciples, “Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest” (John 4:35).

Jesus frequently used teaching situations to instruct his followers about their mission. He spoke of sowing the seed of the word of God into men’s hearts (Luke 8:1-12), and the great call of disciples everywhere to let their light shine before others (Matthew 5:14-16).

 Because I work out of my home-office, I continually deal with distractions. They buzz around me like misquotes. I’ve got unread emails, football scores to check, news to read, phone calls to answer, phone calls to make, my wife asking for help, the dog wanting to go out, the dog wanting to eat, the dog wanting to play ball, the doorbell ringing, mail in the box. The list goes on and on.

As I write this blog, I’ve already missed the deadline. Do the distractions stop just because I’ve got work piled up? Do they peek in my office, see me working, and slip away as quietly as a shadow? No way! It’s my responsibility to tune them out and focus on my work. And when I do, I’m more productive and able to fulfill my life mission.

Imagine what Jesus’ life would have been like if he had allowed himself to get distracted by every religious debate, every disappointed follower, every unhappy family member, every misunderstood word. He would have spent all his time running from one crisis to another.

But Jesus never allowed distractions to divert him. Nor should we.

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