Have you ever found yourself driving, coming into perhaps a big city or seeing something unusual ahead like a section of construction or maybe a wreck, and you then turn down or off anything you happened to be listening to? When I am preparing to make a turn especially in a crowded intersection, if I’m talking on my phone (while using my hands free Bluetooth headset), that I stop talking. I remember at least one time when Ryan was driving and we were talking on the phone and he drove past his exit. We’ve all done similar things from time to time and there is an interesting article about it on the Penn State website.
I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot lately. I’ve had a very harried couple of weeks with an increased work load, going away for a family event, having both of my parents ill at the same time, starting up the new children’s program at church, among other things. At work, I’ve lost things without ever having left my desk! I printed out newsletter mailing address labels and promptly misplaced them. I found them days later in a drawer that they never should have been in! I’ve also lost the Children’s Sabbath School lessons and memory booklets. I’m sure, like the labels, they will turn up eventually but it is very frustrating until I find them!
This distracted mindset has filtered over into my personal worship time both during the week and on Sabbath. I plan every morning to sit down and spend quality time with God in His word and in prayer. What is that saying? The road to hell is paved with good intentions! I try to use my time wisely and sometimes I’ll think, if I can just get this load into the wash then I can spend time with God while the machine does its work. On the way to the washing machine, I see some things I didn’t put away from yesterday’s shopping trip or that the cat left a “present” on the floor that needs cleaned up. While I had good intentions, my time fritters away in tasks that, while important, are not more important than spending a few minutes with God.
The most surprising culprit I’ve found in distracting me from spending time with God is in doing work for the church. The devil is very sneaky. What could be easier to justify than spending time doing what we perceive as God’s will? I have a terrible habit of checking my email first thing in the morning. Sometimes I have emails about church related things and I think, oh I need to do that now so I don’t forget. Then what I thought would take 5 minutes turns into five more tasks and turns into a half hour effectively eating up the time I had set aside for God. My peace has suffered. My frame of mind has suffered. My heart has suffered. My ability to do the work God has set before me has suffered. God does want us to do His will, but His will doesn’t include ignoring quality time with Him. I remember back to a few months ago when I was able to read the Bible more, pray more, talk to God more, and I felt more at peace, I felt calmer, I felt that I could claim God’s promises that He reminds me of each time I open His word.
Work for the church should not eclipse personal time with God. We cannot be good stewards or ministers or even Christians when our foundation begins to sag under the weight of the world. Yes, you read correctly. I have lumped doing work for the church in with the world! If I allow anything, ANYTHING, to come between me and God then even good things have turned sour. The gospels reveal that Jesus took time to go aside to spend time with His heavenly Father. How would I dare think I should be able to keep going, to keep growing, without that special connection that even He needed?
I appreciated the sermon this past Sabbath expounding on a deeper meaning behind the third commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7a). If we call ourselves Christians, but fail to follow the teachings and life ministry of Christ then we are only fooling ourselves. We cannot be ambassadors for Christ when we are distracted drivers, allowing the din of needs and necessities to drown out the importance of spending time training our minds to know His character and His mission through His word and prayer.
Today, I have decided to follow Jesus. A choice we make at baptism, at communion, and every day when we open our eyes anew. I’m putting plans in place to keep time with Jesus at the top of my priority list and to minimize distractions as much as possible. I might stumble but I know that Jesus will help me find a firm foundation in Him once again.
“O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.”
-- Psalm 63:1