Leading The Way - Devotional for March 3
March 3, 2026
5 Distractions to Avoid
By Michael A. Youssef, Ph.D.
Read Hebrews 13:14.
As Christians, we are citizens of the City of God while on assignment in the City of Man. We are here to urge every lost soul we meet to turn from sin and receive eternal life in Christ. But many people who begin with their gaze firmly fixed on the City of God end up falling in love with the city to which they’ve been assigned. What a tragedy! So, I want to give you five reasons this happens so you can be sure it doesn’t happen to you.
First, some have a false perception of the City of God. They envision streets of gold, pearly gates, and 24/7 church services, and they assume it will be boring. But the New Jerusalem’s glory and goodness are incomprehensible to the human mind.
Second, the pressures of this world can steal our focus from heaven, whether hurt, rejection, pain, loss, or daily responsibilities. Now, God does want us to work hard and be good stewards, but He also wants us to allow our trials to make the light of Jesus shine all the brighter in us as we set our hope in Him.
Third, by nature, what we see with our eyes gets our attention. So, although what is unseen is eternal, the temporal—and visible—is what we focus on. As a result, people make business plans, life plans, retirement plans, and neglect to plan for eternity.
Fourth, muddled teaching from the church can keep believers from fixing their hope on the City of God. We must keep our priorities in check: This world seeks self-satisfaction; believers are called to self-sacrifice. In this way we will glorify God in this life as we prepare for the next.
Finally, there are church leaders who proclaim false teachings on eternity, heaven, hell, and salvation. They promote the lie that all roads lead to God. When people believe this deception, they take their eyes off the City of God, for it’s no longer a prize for which we run the race well in this life (see Philippians 3:12-14).
Let us keep our eyes fixed on the City of God as we live and serve to the glory of God in this life, remembering a better city awaits.
Prayer: God, grant me discernment and abiding joy to stand firm in Your Truth as I serve as Your ambassador in the City of Man. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14).
Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon series Unholy Alliance of the Antichrist: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOW
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Watch Dr. Michael Youssef on this week's broadcast of Leading The Way at LightSource.com.
