Saturday, July 6, 2024

 

Watch Out for Distractions 


I know a young driver who recently had what fortunately turned out to be only a minor mishap. I understand that he was reaching over to steady a bag in the passenger seat of his vehicle when he ran off the side of the road, slightly damaging his truck. Such momentary distractions while driving have resulted in much more serious accidents at times, even deadly ones. Many of us had to learn that lesson at some point after we first hit the road as licensed drivers, sometimes having to learn the hard way. No matter how skilled we may be at navigating a car, all it takes is a little distraction to cause us to lose our focus and end up in an accident. These days cell phones are a prominent culprit, but it can also be simply looking away for a moment in order to adjust the radio, correct a child, grab a cup, or talk to a passenger. It doesn’t take much and it doesn’t take long, but the effects can be devastating. Hopefully we have learned to keep our eyes on the road and not to allow anything to draw our attention away from the important task of driving.

We also have to watch out for whatever might distract us as we seek to follow Jesus. It isn’t always the obvious temptations, the moral failings, or the enemy attacks that throw us off track. Sometimes it can simply be something that takes our eyes off Jesus or away from the path on which He is leading us. It may not even be a bad thing. However, it is something or someone that deflects our attention away from our main task and mission as a follower of Jesus and gets us focused elsewhere. Before we realize it, we find ourselves off the narrow road trying to find our way back. Or we may even end up stuck in a ditch or plowed into a tree as we survey the damage and seek a way out.

Jesus seemed to be warning about the possibility and effects of such distractions in the parable of the sower when He referred to how “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches” can hinder God’s Word from bearing fruit in our lives (Matthew 13:22). Paul also pointed to such a danger, advocating that we follow His example of keeping focused on the “one thing” while we “press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). He also warned Timothy to be “a good soldier of Jesus Christ”, including not getting too entangled in the affairs of this life (II Timothy 2:3-4). We have a Savior to follow, a calling to fulfill, and a mission to accomplish – we dare not let anything distract us from it.

Nevertheless, it can be easy to lose our focus. We get caught up in the necessary routines of life and lose sight of what is most important. We get to looking at the visible, here-and-now and forget about the invisible realities related to eternity. We get busy carrying out our other roles in life and forget that we are soldiers of Christ involved in a battle for souls. We get distracted by politics, jobs, family, or sports. Don’t get me wrong – those aspects of our lives can be important and valid parts of the good road on which Jesus calls us to travel. However, they can also become distractions if we allow them to get out of their proper place. 

Are we letting anything cause us to take our eyes off Jesus and His purposes for us? Keep your eyes on the road. Don’t let anything distract you from “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

No comments:

Post a Comment

  Be More Intent on Loving Your Neighbor   During a recent late-night storm, the power went off in our neighborhood. We remained without...