I heard a sermon illustration recently that keeps coming back to me again and again. I couldn't find a great source for the story so it may be more of a legend than anything. Regardless, it makes its point.
"It is said that when the British and French were fighting in Canada in the 1750s, Admiral Phipps, commander of the British fleet, was told to anchor outside Quebec. He was given orders to wait for the British land forces to arrive, then support them when they attacked the city. Phipps’ navy arrived early. As the admiral waited, he became annoyed by the statues of the saints that adorned the towers of a nearby cathedral, so he commanded his men to shoot at them with the ships’ cannons. No one knows how many rounds were fired or how many statues were knocked out, but when the land forces arrived and the signal was given to attack, the admiral was of no help. He had used up all his ammunition shooting at the 'saints.'" Our Daily Bread, October 6
The pastor called it "shooting statues" and the challenge was simple: be very careful not to get caught up in the small distractions that drain you and miss the real calling that God has on your life. With this floating around in my mind, the number of times I've found myself distracted by things that take my attention away from what's truly important has been pretty sobering. This can come in the form of something on your schedule, an interruption, a frustration, an annoyance, a difference of opinion or about a hundred other ways.
Distractions are everywhere and they happen daily. The question I've been asking myself is: how much spiritual and emotional output is this worth? Am I shooting statues or am I focusing my time and energy on the things that truly matter - the people and situations that God has called me to? I've been using this idea when I can tell I need to change my perspective or to put it less delicately, when I'm circling the drain on an issue.
It's no surprise that this is a helpful line of questioning. Ephesians 6:10-18 reminds us that the physical world is not the issue at hand; it's the spiritual battle that's going on behind the scenes that should have our attention and cause us to put on the full armour of God every day. This is the perspective that will keep us from wasting the 'ammo' of our lives all of the distractions that come our way. Instead, we'll be able to engage with what God is working on all around us.
Praying for you (Ephesians 6:18),
Pastor Tracy
“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
This Sunday
FAQs of Jesus
”Why Do You Break the Command of God?”
Join us on Sunday at 10am as our Pastor Tracy continues in our series.