Distractions aren’t meant to be permanent

Jul 03, 2022 News

==My Testimony==

By Sharmain Grainger
Kaieteur News – A distraction, as you may well be aware, is anything that diverts your attention from something else. As such, distractions could be individuals, situations, things or even thoughts that vie for your attention while you are trying to be otherwise engaged.

We have all experienced bouts of distraction, at varying levels, but today, my aim is to tell you about those distractions, that if left unchecked, could shift you so far away from your true self that you become unrecognisable – not only to others but even yourself.

Of course, the media – especially social media – have content these days that can easily sway just about any unstable person into a direction that he or she need not be.
Speaking for myself, I can admit today that I once was swayed by far too many distractions that seemed bent on altering my very existence.

But before that intrusion, I was convinced that I was a tough and impenetrable being. In fact, I had even assumed at one point that I didn’t care too much about what people thought of me.
Turns out, I confess, I did care very much about what people thought of me, and this drove me, over the years, to repeatedly try to reinvent myself. This, sadly, ushered me into a disturbing phase from which I can safely say I have managed to escape.

Distractions in my life were allowed to morph to such disturbing levels that even I thought there was no hope for my redemption.
Among the distractions that unrelentingly vied for my attention for many years was self-image. Self-image is said to be the personal view, or mental picture that we have of ourselves. It became an even greater burden when persons, on multiple occasions, made me feel like I wasn’t good enough.

When someone tells you, for instance, that you shouldn’t wear your own hair to attend a formal event and you need to do this or that to improve your appearance, that, I have found, can scar you mentally and without you even realising it at the time. There were other hints, some more subtle than others, that made me believe that my God-given composition was not good enough.

Today, I understand clearly why many people believe they can carve a better version of themselves by living under the surgical knife. Thankfully, because of a ‘thorn in my flesh’ (which I will tell you about at a later date), I never even considered such a move. Without that hindrance, I am certain I too would’ve joined the droves who have sought to remedy God’s handiwork.

My belief that I wasn’t good enough became so deeply lodged in my prefrontal cortex that each time I looked into a mirror, I saw a hideous image, who I was determined to banish in hopes of appearing pleasing to the eye.
Before long, I became a pro at being a people pleaser and hardly gave thought to who I was meant to be. In fact, I found many reasons to justify why I shouldn’t even try to be myself anymore, and many I believe were quite plausible.

But as suddenly as it overcame me, the spell of desperately trying to be someone else was one day broken. It followed an emotional encounter with someone who I realised needed a real friend and, in my former state, I couldn’t dare assume I could fit that mould. Convinced that I needed to be that person’s friend, I made the hard decision of choosing to be my true self.

And yes, it was hard!
Once the decision was made, I quickly realised that I couldn’t do it on my own, but I knew exactly what I needed to do. It took a great deal of courage to start but the minute I enlisted God’s help, the process became easier. It was simply having faith that once I put the effort in, the Almighty One would enable me to keep going.

I’m still on the journey to fully embracing my true self but I’ve never been a happier camper in this game of life. What I can assure you, without fear of contradiction, is that in order to find the real you, divine intervention is imperative, not a mere option.

While in your own strength, you may achieve much and believe that you have made an impact in this world, you will no doubt find that true satisfaction is lacking. Once you find your true self in Jesus, satisfaction is felt and this comes with a divine peace that passes all understanding.

With God’s help, I was able to find and understand the biblical scripture, Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (NIV)
This in essence tells me that we exist for a much greater purpose – not merely to spruce up the outward appearance for the pleasure of mankind, but to do God’s work and, according to Psalm 37:4, if I delight myself in the Lord, He will give me the desires of my heart, and true to form He has proven that His word is TRUTH.

As part of overcoming my self-image issues, I have embraced the truth of Psalm 139:14 that I was remarkably and wondrously made, and this is true about you as well.
I can safely say today that the majority of my distractions are no more and because of the daily revelations, I am furnished with through prayer and reading the bible, there is NO ONE who can dare tell me that I am not good enough.

At this juncture, I’m unmoved by what people think of me; all that matters is what God thinks of me. Finally, I feel free to live my purpose – which is to tell others, including my new friend, about the goodness of God.

By sharing this concise version of my struggle that spanned years, it is my hope that you too will come to the realisation that there is hope beyond the scope of human limitations. You only need to choose God as your source of help rather than embrace the distractions that daily present themselves aiming to thwart your focus from your purpose.

Why not choose to live your God-intended purpose today?
According to Isaiah 41:13 you don’t have to do alone, “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you.”
I assure you, He will help you.

I leave you with this wonderful YouVersion prayer, which I came across recently. I hope it inspires you to be your true self too.
God, thank You for loving me. You see me as I truly am, and You still accept me! Today, I bring all my false labels and names to You. You know what I’ve been called, and what I’ve believed about myself. Please replace any false narratives with Your truth: that I am Your child, and greatly loved by You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you need help just follow the instructions of Matthew 7:7: “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.” [Amplified]