Where to turn when getting what you want still leaves you feeling unsatisfied.

My first coffee-making contraption was a combination coffee/espresso maker. It was great until the best of both worlds turned out to be too large for my small kitchen. I opted for a simple 12-cup drip pot that satisfied my caffeine cravings in half the counter space. But then the Keurig appeared on the scene. Why brew a whole pot and reheat old coffee when you could have a single cup, hot and fresh, on demand?

I embraced my very own miniature Tim Hortons drive-through until the pods seemed wasteful, overpriced and, now that you mention it, watered down. The Keurig was out and the Aeropress was in. It alone would satisfy the void weak and wasteful coffee had left in my soul, until I was making coffee for a crowd. The Aeropress process felt unnecessarily long and drawn out, so naturally, I needed a French press.

Each contraption left me unsatisfied, worried that there was a better cup of coffee somewhere out there, and I was missing out on it.

One of the primary ways we are distracted from trusting God is worry. Jesus said the worries of this world—the cares and anxieties that distract us and draw us around in many different directions—suffocate seeds of truth in our hearts. Worry stems from fear that what we want is out of our grasp.

“Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come on all who live on the face of the whole earth. But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength, to escape all these things, that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Lk. 21:34-36)

The things that distract and draw us around are often not obvious evils. We can be drawn around by trying to satisfy God-given desires in illegitimate ways. We are distracted if we pursue good things with greater priority than that with which we pursue the God who gives them.

Distractions compete for our time and attention and are difficult to remove once they’ve taken root. Distractions can choke out seeds of truth, suffocate fruit growth, and take over if not kept in check. For we cannot chase both empty wells and Living Water at the same time. Jesus warned us that worries of this world also dull our minds, meaning our minds are weighed down or burdened. It describes the effect of drowsiness or gluttony. What begins as a distraction can also lull you to spiritual sleep. If the enemy can’t make outright sin look appealing, he will aim for spiritual sleep. If he cannot outright deter you from loving and obeying God, he will aim to distract you with many lesser desires.

What appears harmless can cause us to be fruitless.

Wanting a new coffee contraption is not inherently evil. But if getting the strength of the coffee and the way it’s brewed becomes a higher priority than my love for God and love for those I’m actually drinking the coffee with, it has become a distraction.

What worries are distracting you from singleness of heart toward God? Is it having more? Is it having less? Is it having something new? Is it clinging to something old? Is it regrets from the past? Is it having the best? Is it being the best? Is it success?

How are they choking out the flourishing life God designed for you? Will you trust God with what you are worried about?

Worry and distraction are not flies to be swatted at; they’re flaming arrows from the evil one that need to be taken down with spiritual weapons. Have your shield of faith and your sword of the Spirit ready. The Word of God instructs us to capture those fear-based thoughts just like we would an opponent in a schoolyard game of capture the flag. But instead of the casual walk to the game’s designated jail, walk them to straight to their Jesus. He has ultimate authority.

You can know God in the midst of worry and distraction if you are willing to come to Him in it and trust Him with it.

Experiencing God at this very intersection can lead you down the path of flourishing.

Excerpt taken from The Flourishing Life— Discovering the transforming power of trusting God with your weaknesses, ways and wants. ONSALE NOW. Visit the Everyday Truth Shop to get your copy today. Plan to study the Flourishing Life with your people in the new year.