Last Updated on June 24, 2018 by OCF Communications

You’ve seen it. The cursor on your screen begins moving all on its own. If you are not alert to where your cursor is located, then your message gets garbled, your photo becomes skewed, or your data are corrupted. No, the solution is to return the cursor to its proper place before continuing your computer work.

Life has a way of sliding us off course also. We begin with a clear picture of God’s mission and are soon drawn off track. It might be some shiny object that captures our attention, perhaps an opportunity for advancement or recognition. Before we know it our focus is diverted. Or we face an obstacle, encounter criticism, experience failure, and as a result, we weaken in our resolve to serve Christ above all else. The sliding is subtle; it’s rarely obvious. But if left unchecked we ourselves move off course.

Recall the leader Nehemiah, who prayed before each step of his God-given rebuilding task and stayed firmly on track. At one point enemies sought to stop the rebuilding effort by drawing Nehemiah from the work and harming him. They called for a face-to-face meeting. His response: “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3).

For His disciples, God gives direction. Develop a habit of checking your tendency to slide off the course He sets. Seek and find that direction in all parts of life: personal, family, professional, and community. Taking regular time for a personal or couple’s Pray, Discover, and Obey (PDO) is an excellent technique. The purpose—discover and reaffirm God’s direction for the year in all of life and have a record of it in order to stay on mission when life’s cursor wants to slide.

May we all remain on His mission this New Year.