When I was swimming competitively I swam long distance swims.  We used a lap marker at the end of the pool to remind us what lap we were on so we didn’t have to count our laps.  We did this because it would be very easy to get confused while swimming 20 laps of the pool and lose track of what lap you were on and either swim too many, or worse then that, stop too soon!  There were other things going on while were in the pool that could easily distract us from counting correctly.  Things like the people screaming when we reached the end of the lap, the pool noise, or even our own inner talk that distracted us if we were not fully engaged in the race.  While we are running the race we are on for Christ, we can sometimes get distracted as well.

Galatians 5:7-10 says  "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be" (Gal 5:7-10 NIV )  When we are running our race in a manner worthy of being called good we need to be aware that confusion can occur.  When trials come our way we need to be especially on our guard so that we are not distracted from the race we are running.  The enemy is going to search for ways to distract us by lieing to us about who we are, what God is doing, and what we should be doing.  We know that because the scriptures call him a liar (John 8:44 ) who is seeking to devour us (1 Pet 5:8 ).  During times of trial we are especially vunerable to this because it becomes more difficult for us to see what God is doing in the trial.

What we need to be careful of is that we don’t allow ourselves to get distracted by the persuasion of the enemy because He throws us into confusion.  If we look carefully at Galatians 5:7-10 again, it tells us that "the one who is throwing us into confusion will pay the penalty".  It is not our job to determine that penalty, simply to remember that "that kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you."  To put our focus back on the race, away from the screaming people, the noise around us, and the inner talk that doesn’t match our goal.  In order to do this we need to be a people absorbed in God’s Word, the Bible.  In order to know what God is doing and to understand His purpose for what we are experiencing we need to also be spending time with Him in prayer.  It is easier to be distracted in a race we are not fully engaged in.  Don’t make it easier for the enemy to throw you into confusion because you are not fully engaged in the race.