This morning I got up early to spend some quiet time with God before the busyness of the day begins.
It was amazing to me how in just the short walk from my bedroom to our dinning room table how many distractions I allowed to detour me from my destination with God. The things left on the table the night before, the coffee maker that needed to be started, the dishwasher that needed to be emptied, the dog that needed to be fed. As I finally settled back down with my bible and my coffee I thought about how quickly we as people get distracted and detoured daily.
As God’s people we are called to be his hands and feet to a hurting world. We are tasked with reaching out to others in need but so often we are blinded by our own needs, worries, fears, concerns, hurts, hangup, and to do lists that we fail to even see the needs of others around us. This constant pattern of distraction in our lives is one of Satan’s greatest tools to keep us from being effective… if he can keep us focused on ourselves instead of others then God’s calls to reach out to those in need of HIS touch go unanswered.
I was reading in Colossians today and came across this verse in the NIV version:
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
After reading it I made this list as a reminder to myself:
If I am being honest- my heart’s desire is to focus on the things above; however, my heart and mind are often distracted by the earthly things that are in my path each day. If that makes my heart sad… I have to wonder how it makes God’s heart feel?
When I looked that same verse in Colossians up in the Message Translation I knew that I had found my verse to memorize this week:
So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ – that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.
I am working hard to trade my perspective for His daily and this verse will be a great reminder to me when I start to take a detour or give in to a distraction in my actions, thoughts, or heart. I am fixing my thoughts on things above and I invite you to do the same this week. Start by memorizing this verse with me and pondering it’s meaning and application to your own life and walk with God.
Christie, this is a great word! I think this type of distraction you are talking about is a trick of the enemy of our soul to draw us away. Sometimes is actually feels like a magnetic pull. We must fight against it. Thanks so much for this reminder!
Fantastic! You are so right and I love the list. God is the answer to everything, but so often we don’t remember what we know to be true.
Thank you for this reminder!