What’s Distracting You?

Photo by Sherise Van Dyk on Unsplash

So, do you ever get distracted…or is it just me?

The other day while mulling the idea of blogging about “distractions,” I headed toward my bathroom (to pee), but I got so distracted by taking care of other things that I left the bathroom without ever doing what I went in there to do!

But that’s not even my best (worst?) distraction story.

That one happened decades ago so I can’t blame it on aging. I put six eggs in a covered pan with cold water to hard-boil them. I knew it would take a few moments for the water to come to a boil so I headed downstairs to take care of some laundry in the basement.

I passed by the answering machine (remember those?), noticed the blinking light, so I listened to and wrote down several messages. I also saw that someone had carried down the recyclables from the kitchen, but not taken them out to the garage…so I did.

Then I went into the laundry room, started a load of wash and emptied the dryer. Because the room doubled as my office, I glanced at my desk and decided to check my (dial-up!) email. I got thoroughly engrossed in emails and in writing an article for the local newspaper where I worked.

Eventually I heard a loud POP, but had no thought of what it could be.

 Upstairs I discovered that the noise came from the saucepan which had boiled dry and flown off the stove on to the floor, scorching the linoleum. There were no eggs in the pan nor on the stove, but when I looked up, there were tiny, yellow egg bits clinging all over the textured ceiling.

I was so distracted I could have burned down the house!

But it’s not just my everyday life where I get distracted, it’s my spiritual life, as well.

My mind wanders when I’m praying and I fail to listen for the Father’s voice.

I get busy playing word games, skip reading my Bible and the message there for me from the Lord.

I’m preoccupied with my to-do list and miss Spirit-led opportunities to love like Jesus.

I let worries and fears fill my thoughts and steal my peace.

My friend, what distracts your heart from God’s presence and His gifts? Health concerns? Money matters? Marital strife? Controlling addictions? Heavy grief? Wayward sons or daughters?

Or maybe it’s not “bad” things,  but good things– like the tasks that distracted me during the egg-explosion-event. But they still divert your heart from the best things God has for you.

I don’t know the answer for how you personally can be less distracted by the weariness of life and more focused on the Lord, but the song below has become my prayer.  Perhaps it will be yours, too.

In the morning, You have my attention
In the evening, You have my attention
Every season, the laughing, the breaking
The dancing, the waiting
You have my attention

So, I’ll place no other gods before You
No other gods before You
I know they don’t work
So, I’ll place no other one above You
No other thing beside You
You are God alone

You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.
— Deuteronomy 6:5

You must not have any other god but Me.
–Exodus 20:3

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Open in your browser to hear the powerful music video “No Other Gods” by Tim Timmons with whom I recently had the privilege of ministering alongside at the Bob Goff cancer survivor retreat.