How Are You Dealing With Distractions? Distracted, part 2, Loving God, part V
My last message, part 1 regarding distractions, ended on a serious note. A topic of utmost importance, remember “There is only one thing worth being concerned about“? It is directly related to how distractions, innocent or not, can affect our walk with Jesus.
Here are two more examples of distractions, with different outcomes…
King Saul was distracted by the enemy
1 Samuel 13: 8 Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. 9 So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.
King Saul’s distraction was the enemy’s attack and seeing his men slip away. He allowed the enemy to pressure him into doing something in haste yet he was told to wait:
1 Samuel 10: 8 I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.”
What was the result?
1 Samuel 13: 13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you.
This was the beginning of the end for King Saul, he never recovered from this.
Peter focuses on the distractions
Matthew 14: 29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. 31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
This distraction was the wind and waves. He was worried, just as King Saul was.
Can you relate? Not walking on water, of course, but being in circumstances that seem overwhelming and terrifying. I can’t think of a better illustration than Peter taking his eyes off Jesus and beginning to sink. This led him to cry out “Save me, Lord!”. Do you see that God uses cares and worries to draw us closer to Him?
What does the Bible have to say?
This is my all time favorite verse for dealing with worries and concerns. Because if we can learn to give these matters over to the Lord quickly, the less distracting they’ll become. The fear can linger, so just keep praying and giving it over to the Lord. Meditate on this verse, memorize it, and it will serve you well.
Philippians 4: 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
When you develop the daily habit of spending time with Jesus it’s easier to focus on Jesus. His Words are fresh in your mind and this will help you survive any storm you face.
Be in prayer. Stay in the Word. Join those that love Jesus.
“Dear Lord I praise your name. Thank you for being patient with me. I am easily distracted. Please forgive me for not focusing on you more. You are my Rock and my Provider, I will continue to serve and seek You. Please help keep my mind on you throughout the day. In Jesus’ name, amen.”