WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
AUGUST 22, 2026
TOPIC: DON’T BE DISTRACTED FROM YOUR GOALS
BY T. O. BANSO
“Food was set before him [Abraham’s servant] to eat, but he said, ‘I will not eat until I have told about my errand.’ And he said, ‘Speak on’” (Genesis 24:33 New King James Version).
It is one thing to have goals; it is another thing to pursue them, refusing to be distracted. Many people have not achieved their laudable goals because they cannot stay focused and avoid distractions. Their thoughts and attention are always diverted from their goals.
If you are going to achieve anything significant in life, whether in ministry, academics, business, or anything worthwhile, you will face distractions. Nevertheless, you must not succumb to them. Everybody faces distractions, but not everybody yields to them. Even marriage, as good as it is, can become a distraction to serving the Lord if it is not properly managed. Whether you are married or single, ensure that you serve the Lord without distractions (1 Corinthians 7:32-35). I am not saying generally that marriage is a distraction.
How focused are you on fulfilling your goals? Are you easily distracted? You must discipline yourself to focus on your goals and confront spiritual forces that may want you to lose concentration. Sometimes, the distractions are not bad things; they may be good things. However, you must recognise them for what they are. If they will not take you to the destination you have in mind or are different from what you have set to achieve, avoid them.
In Genesis 24, under oath, Abraham sent his oldest servant, whose name is not mentioned, to find a wife for his son, Isaac, among his relatives in his country (verse 4). He did not want him to marry a Canaanite lady. The servant left and eventually, by divine arrangement, met Rebekah, Bethuel’s daughter, and chose her as Isaac’s wife. Bethuel was the son of Abraham’s brother, Nahor, and his wife, Milcah.
Abraham’s servant was convinced Rebekah was the right wife for his master’s son because she met the conditions he had set as a sign of who would be chosen. When he arrived at Rebekah’s home, from the well where they had met, Rebekah’s brother, Laban, showed Abraham’s servant and his entourage hospitality.
Genesis 24:33 says, “Food was set before him [Abraham’s servant] to eat, but he said, ‘I will not eat until I have told about my errand.’ And he said, ‘Speak on’” (New King James Version). Note how well-focused he was. He was conscious of his mission and goal. He did not come to eat or for entertainment, even though the food set before him was customary; it was not sinful to eat the meal. But he was focused on his goal. He had come to secure a wife for his master’s son, Isaac. He had seen the wife. However, he had not yet told the family his mission or confirmed if they would give their daughter to him as a wife for his master’s son.
Abraham’s servant refused to be distracted. He knew that until he obtained the family’s consent, he had not achieved his goal. This servant insisted that he would not eat until he had told Rebekah’s family about his mission. They allowed him to address them because he would not allow food or hospitality to become a distraction from realising his goal. Refusing to eat immediately in ancient biblical Near Eastern culture was a sign of the urgency of a matter; it emphasised the seriousness of the mission over pleasure or hospitality.
After telling them his mission and how God had arranged the meeting with Rebekah, he wanted them to confirm acceptance of his proposal to Rebekah to become Isaac’s wife. Laban and Bethuel (Rebekah’s brother and her father) accepted. Abraham’s servant gave Rebekah and the family gifts, knowing that he had substantially accomplished his goal. Then he and the men with him ate and drank and stayed all night. Abraham’s servant did not eat until he got confirmation from the family that they would allow him to go with Rebekah as Isaac’s wife.
Genesis 24:54b-59 says, “Then they arose in the morning, and he said, ‘Send me away to my master.’ But her brother and her mother said, ‘Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.’ And he said to them, ‘Do not hinder me, since the LORD has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.’ So they said, ‘We will call the young woman and ask her personally.’ Then they called Rebekah and said to her, ‘Will you go with this man?’ And she said, ‘I will go.’ So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men” (New King James Version).
Abraham’s servant remained focused even after getting the consent of Rebekah’s family. He did not allow further delay. He requested that they allow him to go with Rebekah, which the family agreed to after Rebekah had said she would go with him.
In another biblical account, Nehemiah replied to Sanballat and Geshem, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3 New King James Version). The duo had invited him to a meeting, which was a set-up. Let your work or goal be important to you. Avoid distractions.
Furthermore, we can also learn about focus from Elisha’s life. Elisha was not distracted by the words of the sons of the prophets in Bethel and in Jericho from following Elijah, even though they did not intend to distract or discourage him. After Elijah had told him what he must do to receive a double portion of his spirit, which he requested, he was well focused, and he got it (2 Kings 2:1-14).
Do not give in to distractions; focus on your goals. Beware of people’s comments, opinions, or advice that can distract you. Also, do not let any offer disrupt your mission. It is not every open door that is God’s will for you. Do not pursue what is good at the expense of what is best for you. Beware of relationships that are distractions. Do not allow anyone to distract you.
No one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). If you are here and there, you will, most likely, lose both ways. Proverbs 4:25 says, “Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you” (New King James Version). Are you pursuing your goals, or are you always distracted?
You may sometimes have to change your methods or strategies, or even modify your goals if necessary. But do not be distracted and led astray. However, if you have the wrong goals, it is useless to waste your resources pursuing them. Drop them right away and prayerfully set the right goals.
A Christian’s ultimate goal is to spend eternity with God. Are you focused on eternity? Paul said, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14 New King James Version). Colossians 3:2-4 says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (New King James Version). Keep looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you must repent of your sins and confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour now. Please take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life—your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your heart. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There, you will be taught how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me, and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I invite Jesus into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: O Lord, deliver me from distractions. Help me to discipline myself and overcome anything that seeks to distract me from my goals and cause me to go astray. I shall stay focused on my goals in a world of distractions in Jesus’ name. Father, I pray that all those who have been distracted or are being distracted from their goals will focus on them henceforth.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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