I was recently scrolling on Reddit when I saw a video that made me laugh out loud.
It looked like a school event somewhere in Asia. On one end of the rope stood a male teacher. On the other end stood a female teacher with several adorable little kids lined up in front of her. It was a game of tug-of-war. So as soon as I realized what was happening, I paused to see how it would play out.
Would the male teacher use brute strength and drag everybody across the line?
Or would the female teacher and all her little students somehow overpower him?
I didn’t have to wait long.
As soon as the tug-of-war started, the male teacher stuck his hand in his pocket, drew it out as fast as a pistol, and threw something toward the children.
Candy.
A whole bunch of candy.
And I don’t think I need to tell you what happened next.
Those kids abandoned that rope so fast, you would’ve thought the candy was made of money. One second, they were locked in and pulling with all their might. The next second, they were gone. Tug-of-war? Forgotten. Strategy? Forgotten. Their poor teacher? Abandoned.
She fell over.
The male teacher won.
And I couldn’t stop laughing!
Not just because it was funny, but because of how quickly those little kids switched teams without even realizing it.
They didn’t stop to ask, “Wait, is this a trick?” They didn’t pause and say, “Hold on, we’re supposed to be helping our teacher.”
They saw something sweet, shiny, and easy, and they let go of the very thing they were supposed to be holding onto.
And then it dawned on me.
You and I do this all the time.
As a Christian, you can sometimes imagine the enemy working in big, obvious, dramatic ways.
You picture temptation looking obvious, dangerous, and clearly wrong. You expect the devil to show up with a pitchfork and a warning label.
But often, he doesn’t.
Sometimes, he just throws candy.
And before you know it, you’ve let go of the rope.
You’ve stopped praying like you used to. You’ve stopped reading your Bible like you used to. You’ve stopped being sensitive to conviction like you used to. You’ve stopped addressing the very thing God told you to build, heal, start, finish, release, or surrender.
Not because you woke up one day and decided to walk away from God.
But because you got distracted.
That’s one of the enemy’s favorite weapons. Distraction.
And he knows what kind of candy to throw your way.
Are you likely to run to:
ATTENTION from a man you know good and well is not sent by God.
BUSYNESS that leaves your calendar full, but your spirit starving.
COMPARING your life to somebody else’s ring, wedding, house, body, career, ministry, or relationship post and feeling like you’re lacking/behind.
ENTERTAINMENT that leaves you watching show after show, scrolling after scrolling, and keeps you feeding your flesh and wondering why your spirit feels weak.
FEAR of being alone, being forgotten, being too old, missing your chance, fear that if you doesn’t make something happen, nothing will happen.
LUST that leads you to see every man who enters your life as a sex object to lust after, or that leads to romantic fantasies, emotional attachments, secret conversations, “harmless” flirting, or building a whole future in your head with a man who has shown zero real fruit.
MONEY that defines your sense of security by getting you to chase it, spend it, worry about it.
OFFENSE that keeps you from moving forward because you keep picking up what God told you to lay down and you refuse to forgive (or fear you don’t know how).
RESENTMENT that bubbles over every time you replay what they did, what they said, how they left, how they betrayed your, and how unfair it all was.
VALIDATION that requires you to need to be seen, liked, chosen, complimented, desired, invited, followed, reposted, admired, or approved.
Lastly, for many single Christian women, one of the most dangerous distractions is a counterfeit.
A counterfeit looks like a blessing at first.
He may go to church, have a good job, a nice smile, and enough charm to make you ignore your discernment.
But if he pulls you away from God or gets you to compromise, he’s not a blessing.
He’s a sugar-coated curse.
I know that may sound harsh, but you have to be honest with yourself. Distractions don’t just waste your time. They use you up.
They drain your body, exhaust your emotions, deplete your finances, weaken your confidence, cloud your discernment, pull you out of position, make you question what God already said, and occupy space in your life that God never intended for them to have.
What if God wanted to bring someone into your life, but your heart was too tangled up with a counterfeit to recognize him?
What if God wanted to use you in a specific way, but your energy was being spent decoding mixed signals?
What if God wanted to heal you, but you kept reopening the wound because the distraction felt familiar?
What if God wanted to elevate you, but you kept letting go of the rope every time the enemy threw something shiny your way?
You have to ask yourself: What candy has the enemy been throwing at me?
If you don’t know the answer to that question, you will undoubtedly take your eyes off of your Leader, Jesus.
Because the kids in that video didn’t lose because the male teacher was stronger. They lost because they took their eye off the prize and their mission.
This can look like lack of prayer, obedience, discipline, faith, purity, wisdom, or even trust in God.
Maybe you feel like you’ve dropped the rope (so to speak). But the good news is, you can pick it back up.
You can ask God to open your eyes.
You can ask Him to show you what has been distracting you.
You can ask Him to remove anything that doesn’t belong to Him.
There is freedom on the other side of surrender and obedience.
You have to ask yourself: What "candy" has the devil been throwing at me? If you don't know the answer to that question, you will undoubtedly take your eyes off of your Leader, Jesus. #forsinglewomenonly Share on XYour best life as a single, Christian woman is now. But it requires you to stop chasing candy and start holding onto the rope.
Your best life is not about having a boyfriend, fiancé, or a husband.
Now, are those things nice? Absolutely! A healthy, God-honoring relationship is a beautiful gift and a huge blessing.
But your best life is not waiting on a man to begin.
Your best life is a life of undivided devotion to the Lord.
Your best life is walking with God while actually enjoying the life He’s given you right now.
Not just somebody cute and available. But someone whose life can walk in agreement with yours.
Someone who can partner with your purpose, not compete with it, drain it, or distract you from it.
But until then, don’t drop the rope.
Don’t abandon your calling for “candy”/distractions.
Remember, the devil will keep throwing candy your way, but you don’t have to keep chasing it.
The devil will keep throwing distractions your way, but you don’t have to keep chasing it. #forsinglewomenonly Share on XTake a few minutes today and ask yourself honestly: What candy has the enemy been throwing my way that I’ve been grabbing? Ask God to expose every distraction, counterfeit, attachment, habit, and desire that’s pulling you away from Him. Then ask Him for the strength to release it. And if this spoke to you, share it with another single woman who may need the reminder: don’t drop the rope for candy.
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