Distractions

Distractions

Verse of the Day:  Verse of the Day:  “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭19:11-12‬

It’s difficult to complete a task when you have distractions. Men are the worst. We can’t multitask to save our lives. Sure we are great at some things, but multitasking isn’t it. 

I will be working in my shop and my wife will come outside and start a conversation with me. One of two things will happen at this moment. One, I won’t remember a word she has said when she leaves. Or two, I will make the biggest mistake in my project. I have to completely stop what I’m doing to avoid disaster on either front. 

If we are distracted, we aren’t focused. If we aren’t focused, things aren’t clear. If we are distracted we will miss the small things. 

God doesn’t always do big and amazing things. Sometimes what God does is a series of small things. Sometimes what He does isn’t noticed at all. And sometimes we are too caught up in the distractions to notice what He has done or what He is doing in our lives. Our sole purpose is to glorify God. And how can we do that if we aren’t paying attention?

Elijah was on the run and in a cave. He looked for God in the wind, an earthquake and a fire. Huge events. And God spoke to Elijah in a small voice. Not a big deal. Unless Elijah missed it. 

How many times have we missed God because of the distractions in our lives?

There are two types of distractions in our lives, the ones we allow and the ones we create. 

The ones we allow are the things that pull us away from our faith. Getting sucked into sports, hobbies, work and social things are huge distractions. We let these things pull us away from where our focus needs to be. These are the shiny objects that grab our attention. 

The ones we create are all the things we put in front of God. This could be anything you do other than praying, worshiping, reading the Bible or going to church. These are deliberate actions. Not just things that happen to get in the way. 

Either of these can make us miss God. Our focus needs to be deliberate. Just as in the shop, we need to stop and pay attention or pay the consequences. 

So how do we do this. We specifically set aside time for Him. Ask yourself how much time you set aside for God each day. Not each week. Not each month. Be specific. And be honest!

Do you only reserve time in the morning? Or at night. Why not both? Do you limit your distractions? Do you set your phone aside? Do you have a quiet place to go to?

Let’s be honest, life is one huge distraction. There is so much going on right now. Work, Covid, political garbage, family life. It’s shear madness. But you have to make the time to listen. You have to quiet the distractions. Nobody else will. 

Reflect today on the distractions in your life. Take today and go find five minutes and sit somewhere quiet, in your car, at a park, outside, inside. Go somewhere where you can hear the quiet voice of God. And lastly, find ways to limit the distractions.