Her barking is not uncommon, in fact, it’s her initial instinct in every situation. This morning wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I sat at the table enjoying my tea and reading…and she went outside and began barking. Something told me this wasn’t her ordinary exchange with the pesky squirrels, or random cat in our yard, so I walked to the window and looked out. I saw this…

She was barking uncontrollably at a metal trashcan in a wheelbarrow. Now mind you, this isn’t usually at the fence…so it caught her off guard. In response, she made every effort to warn us of the danger that lurked just beyond our property line. As I sat and watched her, I laughed to myself.

The trashcan wasn’t her enemy, but try convincing a yappy dog of that. It was out-of-place, unknown, and therefore the target of her attention. In that very moment I realized how like her I am. In my everyday routine I often see metal trash cans {phone calls that last too long, dishes piled up, distracted drivers, my husband and children} as my enemy. And to be honest, I can harp on these distractions for longer than necessary. These interruptions not only gain my attention, but remain the object of my attention far too long.

Enemies do that. Enemies disguise themselves as things near and dear to you and me. My faith teaches me that I have a spiritual enemy {and my only true enemy}, and over the years I have learned that the only tool he needs is distraction.

My dog knows the sound of my voice. She knows that I only want good things for her. But even dogs have choices. She can respond to my call, or ignore it. This morning, I tried to distract her from her obsession with the shiny object. I called her name. I lured her with food. No luck. She did eventually break her focus and come inside. I assured her {yes, I am that lady that talks to her dog like a child} that it was alright and she settled down.

I too know the sound of my Father’s voice. I know that He wants good things for me. But I have a choice. I can respond to His call, or ignore it. I can fixate on things outside my control, or I can surrender to the call. For me, this requires trust and obedience. Trusting that God has a protective love for me, and obedience to align myself with that love. This requires I let go of my strong need to point out all the flaws of others…to see justice served quickly…to protect myself from hurt.

I don’t want to waste time at the fence line of life. I don’t want to sacrifice valuable time fussing at shiny metal trash cans. Yes, I have an enemy that aims to distract me from investing in what really matters in this life. An enemy that uses those I love to divert my attention. If I’m struggling with feeling worthy, and he distracts me from the truth of my worthiness in Jesus, the battle is won. He doesn’t need me to do anything else…the distraction is enough.

What or who is your true enemy? What seeks to distract you throughout the day. What distraction stands in the way of your surrender? Today I pray for clarity-for eyes fixed on the only One that can (and has) defeated our spiritual enemy. That our distractions don’t win. That we lean into Truth and let that truth set us free!

 Linking up here today…