7 Ways we are thrown of course

Image by kevindooley via Flickr

Now that we have our life purpose and big goals in front of us, we will have a tendency to drift from them as a result of various problems and distractions. Much like a ship at sea or plane in the air, the turbulence of life will throw us off course.

Here is a list of possible life distractions that throw us off course from what God has designed for our lives:

1. Sin. I would say this is the number one area in life that will cause us to stumble and fall in accomplishing God's Big Idea for our life.
2. Idols. No, I'm not talking about the worship of gods of wood and stone, but anything that we have allowed in our life to take a priority over God Himself. These idols could be anything from money, business, career, hobbies, or family.
   
3. Family. Not everyone in your immediate or extended family will be enthusiastic with your life's mission. Under the guise of good intentions, they will attempt to talk you out of it, or worse yet, sabotage you.
   
4. Friends. Just as our family will try to talk us out of God's plan, so to will our friends that don't understand our mission.
   
5. Work. We all have to make a living, right? If our life purpose is not currently interconnected with our work responsibilities, we will have the tendency to allow the stress and pressure of the workplace to consume our time and thoughts, taking our focus off of God's purpose for us.
   
6. Daily living. We all have stuff to accomplish during the day. There are errands to run, sports games to attend, grass that needs mowing, and life to be lived.
7. Good opportunities. From time to time, we are all presented with various opportunities that on the surface seem good and right to pursue. We must be cautious to filter each opportunity through our life's Big Idea.