“He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44b King James Version)
There is a black wooden block on my desk inscribed with these bold white words, “Don’t Tell God That You Have a Big Problem, Tell Your Problem You Have a Big God.” I modified the message on the block to read as follows, “Don’t Tell God About Your Distractions, Tell Your Distractions That You Have a Big God.”
We all deal with distractions and perhaps we are especially vulnerable to the distractions getting us off the straight and narrow path of righteousness, off the way of right living, on the weekend, especially Saturdays. Hmmm? Today is Saturday, isn’t it? So, this may be a timely message for many of us.
Here are some examples of our distractions. Poverty, politics, pride, and the pursuit of happiness. There are more examples! Tired, tempted by temporary things that make us feel good…tantalize us temporarily, trying times, and teachings about material prosperity that have not been realized in spite of you doing all “somebody,” who was in a position of influence, told you to do to secure the material blessings. There’s still more! There is our flesh, the faithless folks we call friends, and fantasized life that we see modeled on various forms of media. Even the faithful are distracted by being in the customarily small inner, concentric circle that does most of the work in their local church. There is the loud call of the old nature, the loads of advertising that lead you to wasting your whole day shopping, and there are letdowns, and lots of things that bring us frowns. There are issues, and there is impatience. There is disappointment and decisions that we believe we need to make immediately. (Hopefully, the right decision is chosen.) There are deep thoughts hidden in our unconscious memories, thoughts if brought to our memory, well they will be disturbing and yes, distracting. Distractions! There is alienation, being alone, and a lot of other things that assuredly distract us.
Here is where the opening verse becomes entwined in this edifying meditation. The devil, the deceiver, he is a liar. And he will attempt to amplify your distraction and ambush you with evil actions to adopt or with alternatives that are profane and not holy. The devi is a liar, and he will try to bring you down or bring you to the point where you contradict behaviorally, your declaration that you have been born again. The battle for your mind is more contentious when the devil gets hold of your distractions. That’s not a pretty picture.
Now, here is where the closing verse becomes of great value. When you are distracted, look to the Lord! Look at the way He shows you! Look at the words He has shared with you! Look at how He modeled how to deal with distractions, to the point He was obedient even to death on a cross. Read the verse below and every time you recognize that a distraction is trying to disturb you, react by doing exactly, distinctly what the verse says. Have a great Saturday and don’t forget what happens tomorrow. It is the day when the saints assemble together to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. Love you! Be blessed!
“…[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].” (Hebrews 12:2 The Amplified Bible)
Mark L. King