Let\'s Not Get Distracted
Daily Reading Plan: Romans 8:28
While we aren’t immune from having bad things happen to us, one of the benefits of salvation is that God promised to be with us through difficult times and then to use all things for our good and for His glory. Pray for God’s presence to give you peace today – and consider making a list of some of the awesome ways He is working things together for good even in these though times.
Let’s Not Get Distracted
My 16-year-old granddaughter is learning to drive; and when I asked her how it was going, she told me, “Grandmom, I’m actually a VERY good driver – I just tend to get distracted.” I laughed inside -- and made a mental note to pray for everyone on the road when she would be driving. I hardly knew how to respond due to my shock and my fear for her future, but I did comment that I firmly believe a very good driver tends NOT to be distracted.
And that brings us to our topic today – distracted believers. The Bible certainly offers ample wisdom about this matter:
“But one thing I do: forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things that are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
What do you need to “forget” in order to press on – to avoid being distracted from the goal? Are you distracted/hindered/paralyzed by your forgiven past – your failures -- those things that seem to pop up in your mind? When that happens, let those pop-ups be reminders of God’s amazing grace – of which we should all be extremely grateful recipients. Are you distracted by past successes? These could become a source of pride – or even a source of perpetual nostalgia that distracts you from today and from the future God still has planned for you.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
In what areas are you distracted by fear? Fear of a disease you may never get? Fear of dying? Fear of spiders? Fear of the unknown? Fear of failure? Fear of success? Fear of being fearful? Do you remember how fearful many people were as the calendar was getting ready to turn the page to a new millennium – the year 2000? How did you all do with that one? Most of our fears never really come to pass, so let’s choose to use our energies for something else.
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
On what have you fixed your eyes? According to this passage, there is a race marked out for us. Are you running YOUR race – or are you distracted by the race others think you should be running? Are you looking all around you, or are you looking up – up to the author and perfecter of faith?
The answer to all of our distractions is right there in the book of Hebrews: fix your eyes on Jesus. Fix your eyes on the One who is the reason your faith and your hope is true. And let’s not just talk about it – let’s do it!
by Judy Shrout
While we aren’t immune from having bad things happen to us, one of the benefits of salvation is that God promised to be with us through difficult times and then to use all things for our good and for His glory. Pray for God’s presence to give you peace today – and consider making a list of some of the awesome ways He is working things together for good even in these though times.
Let’s Not Get Distracted
My 16-year-old granddaughter is learning to drive; and when I asked her how it was going, she told me, “Grandmom, I’m actually a VERY good driver – I just tend to get distracted.” I laughed inside -- and made a mental note to pray for everyone on the road when she would be driving. I hardly knew how to respond due to my shock and my fear for her future, but I did comment that I firmly believe a very good driver tends NOT to be distracted.
And that brings us to our topic today – distracted believers. The Bible certainly offers ample wisdom about this matter:
“But one thing I do: forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things that are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
What do you need to “forget” in order to press on – to avoid being distracted from the goal? Are you distracted/hindered/paralyzed by your forgiven past – your failures -- those things that seem to pop up in your mind? When that happens, let those pop-ups be reminders of God’s amazing grace – of which we should all be extremely grateful recipients. Are you distracted by past successes? These could become a source of pride – or even a source of perpetual nostalgia that distracts you from today and from the future God still has planned for you.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
In what areas are you distracted by fear? Fear of a disease you may never get? Fear of dying? Fear of spiders? Fear of the unknown? Fear of failure? Fear of success? Fear of being fearful? Do you remember how fearful many people were as the calendar was getting ready to turn the page to a new millennium – the year 2000? How did you all do with that one? Most of our fears never really come to pass, so let’s choose to use our energies for something else.
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
On what have you fixed your eyes? According to this passage, there is a race marked out for us. Are you running YOUR race – or are you distracted by the race others think you should be running? Are you looking all around you, or are you looking up – up to the author and perfecter of faith?
The answer to all of our distractions is right there in the book of Hebrews: fix your eyes on Jesus. Fix your eyes on the One who is the reason your faith and your hope is true. And let’s not just talk about it – let’s do it!
by Judy Shrout
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