Distractions in life come in a variety of ways

Source: J.John

I heard about a woman who was travelling on a bus with her baby. She was so deep in conversation on her mobile that when the bus driver reached her stop, the woman got off the bus, leaving her four-month-old son behind. Fortunately, she quickly realised her mistake and got a taxi to chase the bus, and the baby was still where she had left him on the bus – crying, but otherwise OK.
Distractions in life can come in a variety of ways, sometimes disguised as harmless or even good things. They can sometimes be pleasant and sometimes painful, but the result is the same: we can miss the right thing, or the important thing. When couples prepare for marriage a common phenomenon takes place as the wedding date gets closer - the couple think less about the marriage, and more about the wedding. As the day draws closer everyone constantly talks about the details of the wedding and they ask far fewer questions about the marriage. This is an understandable dynamic, but it's not necessarily a good one. Often the wedding, which is a good thing, distracts the couple's attention from the marriage, which is a great thing. And although most weddings are perfect, many marriages aren't.

We need the Lord to open our eyes so we can beware of distractions that will preoccupy us and distract us from what is important. The apostle Paul tells us: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." The word the apostle Paul used for 'anxious' means ' to be pulled in different directions'. There are things in life which seem to pull us apart. In those situations the apostle Paul's simple solution was to pray.

When things come our way that threaten to de-rail us, one of the first things we can do is to follow the example Jesus himself set. In Mark 6:46 we read: "And when he had sent them away, [Jesus] departed into the mountain to pray." The Quaker, Thomas Kelly, once observed: "The outer distractions of our interests reflect an inner lack of integration in our own selves. We are trying to be several selves at once without all our selves being organised by a single, mastering Life within us."

WOW! That's a gem of a quote to prayerfully ponder on this week!

May you know the Lord's encouragement all around the compass and the clock.

Agapé

J.John
Useful link: www.philotrust.com