Distracted or Disciplined? / Guest Post by Josh Harrell

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28

What is the one thing you set out to do differently in 2026 that you’ve never done before?

Maybe it was something you wanted to accomplish, improve upon, or establish consistency and urgency in. Maybe it was chasing a championship or making it to the next level. Maybe you wanted to pursue a journey to becoming physically fit or radically changing your diet. Or you might’ve wanted to dedicate more time with your family and implement a better work-life balance. Think about every detail in your life at the moment and what you are in pursuit of. Are you at unrest and blinded by worldly responsibility? Finding your fill in earthly possessions and side-stepping God’s instructions? Are you finding yourself making excuses and spiraling in self-pity because of your circumstances? Distracted with routine and stuck in the hamster wheel of monotonous life? Whatever you are walking through, things become disjointed and disintegrated from the Lord when you are distracted! Lacking discipline goes hand in hand with being distracted from your heavenly assignment.

When you find yourself drifting and distracted from your heavenly assignment, this means an influence has wedged itself in between you and Christ. This could be your big goal, your job, your hobbies, your interests, etc. When you are not walking in constant fellowship with Jesus, beware of these influences! As 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The enemy loves nothing more than to sabotage your mind with earthly influences that drift you away from the Holy Spirit. God desires us to live a well-rounded life in completeness and joy in Him through Jesus, but there are times when these “good” things that we are in pursuit of are no longer “God” things. The first part of Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me…” This is the only solution to find rest in the things that truly matter, re-establish discipline, and stay in pursuit of your heavenly assignment.

So now what? I’ve gone to God feeling out of order, disorganized, tired, maybe even guilty. The good news is that GOD HAS COMPASSION FOR YOU! He loves you. He knows your heart. He desires you just as you are. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” We can confidently go to the Lord and surrender our dependence to Him. In this moment, we must ask for awareness through the Spirit. Christ-awareness then takes the place of worldly self-awareness… and the Lord gives us rest!

Okay, so now we are given rest. So, does that mean we are to be idle and expect God to do all the work for us? A plan to get everything we want because we have now just acknowledged God? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Remember, you are on a very specific assignment, which requires discipline. Discipline is sparked within your spirit. It starts with a well-rested spirit, intimacy, and passion for Jesus. How can you chase after lofty goals and accomplishments if you are not disciplined in your walk with Christ? Are you disciplined in your worship and praise? In your prayer life and time of devotion with the Lord? God not only requires acknowledgment and surrender, but He requires action and obedience. This is not a mere act of selfish ambition anymore. To be disciplined in the Spirit, God requires sacrifice and obedience to be in oneness and completeness in Him. 

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:27, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” We must run in a way that wins the prize and sacrifice ourselves in a way that honors God and gives Him the glory! We have to avoid taking a backseat once God has provided rest, vision, and instruction. We are all works in progress, but God finds great joy and blesses those who are obedient, disciplined in the Spirit, and strive for excellence for Christ alone.

Being given awareness, rest, and discipline through the Holy Spirit is something that cannot be done by man alone. 2 Peter 1:3-9 says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these, he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.” 

God gives us everything we need to live the life He wants us to live! Your lifestyle, pursuits, or goals don’t have to be detached from God when things get messy and disorganized. When you become distracted, just turn to Him. He will give you rest, which will strongly root intimacy and passion for Him. This sparks discipline, completeness, and oneness with Christ. All God requires is for us to first go to Him.

Josh Harrell is pursuing a Master’s degree in Biomolecular Science from Lipscomb University. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Emma. Josh graduated from Liberty University in 2025, where he served as the captain for the Men’s D2 Hockey Team. With Josh’s hockey chapter recently ending, God has called Josh to go in the medical field, where Josh will use his Master’s degree to pursue attending medical school and becoming a medical doctor. Josh is incredibly thankful for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He strives to faithfully pursue Jesus and lead others to him.