John 10:1 (CEB) I assure you that whoever doesn’t enter into the sheep pen through the gate but climbs over the wall is a thief and an outlaw.

•  Robber (lēstēs) = insurrectionist (Like Barabbas ), people who try to rule your life // change your loyalty

Beware of people who are trying to take over your life; people who are trying to force their agenda over on you. They are insurrectionist—seeking to overthrow the current regime in your life and set up their will and way.

These people are not always bad people. They may be championing a good and even godly cause. It is something that matters to them. They’re passionate; they’re convinced that everybody in the world should be as passionate about their cause as they are.

 

But remember, God gives different people different burdens. It is perfectly permissible to say kindly, I will pray for you that God will give you strength to bear the burden He has given you and you please pray that God will help me to stay focused on the burdens and responsibilities that God has given me.

Just because you “like” their cause on Facebook doesn’t mean you have to sign up.

Just because you feel prompted to make a donation doesn’t mean you have to become a long-term investor.

Just because you pray for them doesn’t mean you have to join them.

After all, you have your own race to run, your own fight to win, your own field to toil in, and your own assignment to complete.

Stand your ground; be faithful to the assignment God has given you; don’t let someone sneak into your fold and take over by making you feel obligated to champion their burden and cause.

Your allegiance must be to the Chief Shepherd and your focus must remain on being a good steward of the talents he has given you.

• The ONE THING for today: It’s OK to say no to well-meaning and sincere people who try to hijack you away from God has called you to do.

 

“If anything has kept me on track all these years, it’s being skewed to this principle of central focus. There are many things I can do, but I have to narrow it down to the one thing I must do. The secret of concentration is elimination.”

_Dr. Howard Hendricks (The Next Generation Leader _Andy Stanley, p. 28)