Distracted By Good

My husband and son were walking in a field one day.  They observed a bird with an apparently wounded wing. As they approached the bird cautiously, my husband explained to our young son that they must be careful not to touch the bird if it was a baby.  When they got close, the bird flew away a few feet.  When they began to resume the original path of their walk, the bird began crying out loudly and again flapping the wounded wing.  This recurred several times. Finally the bird flew away, seemingly unharmed.

Puzzled by this behavior, my husband did an internet search on “bird – pretend broken wing” To his surprise the search led to a description of the Killdeer, who is named for their frequently heard call.  Living in grassy areas such as fields, meadows, and pastures, the Killdeer’s nest is a shallow depression in the ground surrounded by some stones.  The spotted eggs appear to be stones, and all blend in with the surroundings.  To distract predators from the nest, a Killdeer will use the "broken-wing act" that my husband and son witnessed.

 David considered this and thought of the distractions that can keep us from the things God has planned for us.  If we equate the nest with God’s perfect plan, there will be many ‘Killdeers’ in our path to distract.  When he shared this with me, I agreed that it was a great story line for this blog site.  So today you get a combination of what ‘our’ hearts see.

We receive several warnings in the Bible concerning selfish distractions.  In the parable of the sower, Jesus explains   ^“And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Lord; Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.”  (Mark 4:18-19 AMP)  John warned the early church, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself].” (1 John 2:16 AMP)  These are contrary to the heart of God and we must continually guard ourselves against them.

What occurred in the field that day was not the result of selfish motives.  Although the Killdeer uses this tactic to distract predators, my guys weren’t looking for easy prey.  They were only concerned with helping a wounded bird.  Often, it is good things that can distract us from the best.  There will always be needs around me.  I must discern if I am the one God has purposed to meet them.  If I try to help every person in need, two things will happen.  First, I will eventually burn out.  Second, I may be too busy to see what God really wants from and for me.

Burn-out, stress and related health issues are so prevalent in today’s world.  The Body of Christ is not immune.  Although we are to rely on God’s strength, we often work so hard we neglect our time receiving from Him.  Whenever we are too busy for God, something is wrong.  Good works cannot begin a relationship with God.  Good works cannot continue a healthy relationship with Him either.  Burn-out is only avoided by spending time with the Father and getting our marching orders from Him.  Follow the pattern demonstrated in the life of Jesus. In several places Scripture tells us, He went away early to spend time with the Father.  His ministry was described by, “How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good.”  (Acts 10:38 AMP)

The second point is even more serious.  When I am spending so much time and resources on every need I see, I can actually miss those things that God intends for me to do.  I’ve even found myself telling God I can’t do something because I have all these other things to do. Martha experienced this.  She had dinner guests who needed attention.  Yet she nearly missed the time with Jesus.  “But the Lord replied to her by saying, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; There is need of only one or but a few things.”  (Luke 41-42a AMP)  Jesus guarded himself against this. “I am able to do nothing from Myself [independently, of My own accord—but only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders]. Even as I hear, I judge [I decide as I am bidden to decide. As the voice comes to Me, so I give a decision], and My judgment is right (just, righteous), because I do not seek or consult My own will [I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My own aim, My own purpose] but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me.” (John 5:30 AMP) By only doing what he saw His Father doing, he never got distracted from the goal

There were many people at the pool of Bethesda, but Scripture accounts only of Jesus approaching one man. (John 5:1-15)  He saw the need that The Father was drawing Him to, and He met that need.  Other times it is said that “He healed them all.”  Time, discernment and obedience are needed to follow this pattern.  People will not always understand when you decline to help with their request.  Some may even try to use guilt to sway you.  Ask God daily to show you His will. “Man’s steps are ordered by the Lord. How then can a man understand his way?” (Proverbs 20:24 AMP)  Then walk confidently, whether you or others understand the plan of God.
The day of that walk, David and Jon did not even realize there was a nest nearby.  (They would not have bothered the nest if they had known about it.)  They were so concerned with the need of the bird ‘with the broken wing’, that they were blinded to the real treasure.  They were successfully steered off course by what seemed to be the suffering of a helpless bird. It appeared to be a need, but it was not.
It is said that ‘good’ is the greatest enemy of ‘best.’  Don’t miss the treasure (best) that God intends for you to have.  Don’t let anything steer you off the course He has planned for you.  Whether it be sin, or good intentions, we must learn to follow this advice, “…let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1 AMP)   We will run right to the prize of God’s perfect will.