Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church is urging Christians to stay focused and avoid distractions in order to achieve their full potential in life.
"One of the most important tests we all face as we try to achieve what God has called us to do is cultural distractions," he wrote in his website. There are four distractions, Warren narrated, and these are the distractions of popularity, pleasure, profits, and possession.
For the distraction of popularity, the pastor said if people constantly worry about what other people would think, then they will be distracted from their destiny. As for pleasure, it's all well and good to have fun and feel comfortable in life, but if those are the only focus of one's life, then one will never fulfill his or her destiny.
Others, on the other hand, might be too focused on wealth, but this is actually another distraction. "You can't serve both God and money. Making a profit shouldn't be the primary focus of your life," he said.
Lastly, there is the distraction of possessions. If people measure their success based on how much stuff they own, then it will keep their attention away from what really matters.
"Judging your success by how much stuff you own will keep you concerned about keeping things and maintaining things," he said.
It's easy for anybody to lose their focus because of these distractions, said Warren, but Christians must always remember what their priority is.
"If you are going to fulfill the mission God has given you, you must dare to be different from others. Stay focused on the most important thing: your relationship with Jesus Christ."