Distraction

Read Time: 11 Minutes

There are so many things to do and so many things that demand our attention we must weigh each item for it's worth. God has repeatedly exhorted us to dwell on His Word, keep His Word in our minds and guard the Word in our hearts. We need to be spiritually minded and not let ourselves get talked out of God's Word.

Colossians 3
:1  If ye then be risen with Christ,
    seek those things which are above,
    where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
:2 Set your affection on things above,
    not on things on the earth.
:3 For ye are dead,
    and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Proverbs 4
:20 My son, attend to my words;
    incline thine ear unto my sayings.
:21 Let them not depart from thine eyes;
    keep [attend to] them in the midst of thine heart.
:22 For they are life unto those that find them,
    and health to all their flesh.
:23 Keep [guard] thy heartwith all diligence;
    for out of it are the issues of life.
:24 Put away from thee a froward [crooked, distorted, perverse] mouth,
    and perverse lips put far from thee.
:25 Let thine eyes look right on,
    and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
:26 Ponder the path of thy feet,
    and let all thy ways be established.
:27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left:
    remove thy foot from evil.

You must keep yourself from being distracted. Keep your thoughts inline with God's Word; do not let yourself get distracted. There is a reason why God would have us set our affections, (our thoughts, our mind) on things above.

Romans 8
:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh;
    but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
:6 For to be carnally minded is death;
    but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity [at odds, hostile] against God:
        for it is not subject to the law of God,
        neither indeed can be.

The carnal mind is one that is world conditioned. When you are thinking what the world would have you think it is contrary to the promises of God. Some examples are:

Carnal	Spiritual
I'm just a nobody	I am a child of God ~ Rom 8:14-17
I can't do that	I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, Phil 4:13
I'm sick	By the stripes of Jesus Christ I am healed, I Pet 2:24
I don't have any money	God supplies all my needs, Phil 4:19, God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I could ask or think in my life, Eph 3:20
My sickness is my penitence	God's will is for me to be in health and to prosper, III John 2
If it's not one thing it's another	All things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose, Rom 8:28 Satan steals, kills, and destroys but Jesus Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly, John 10:10

I am sure there are many more that can be added to this list but you get the idea. Our responsibility is to put on the mind of Christ, to think God's Word of ourselves, to know, declare, and act on the abundant promises He has liberally placed throughout His Word. But we become distracted, why?

II Corinthians 4
:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
    lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,
        who is the image of God,
    should shine unto them.

What distracts us? The cares of this world can weigh heavily on a persons' mind; wars, natural disasters, and man-made catastrophes magnify the problem over God's promises. Even when we are able to cast our cares upon Him and look to God in all things we are faced with another challenge, the battle for our time.

God said He will supply all our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, that means every need that you would have. Do you find your self working more and more in order to buy that something extra? We are to work with our hands that which is good so we can have to give,  (Eph 4:28) not have a new toy. Toy? New bike, new car, new TV, new Xbox . . .  Where are your thoughts on this matter? Are you working so that you can have to give or for material junk? God causes us to live abundantly, this comes to pass by living according to His Word. Working more also causes you to spend less time with your children, family, believers, and friends. Are you working excessively under your own strength to provide for your family or are you seeking God first knowing that He supplies?

Who do you hang out with? We are to prefer one another (Rom 12:10). Spend time with those of the household of God.

Psalm 133
:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
:2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head,
    that ran down upon the beard,
        even Aaron's beard:
    that went down to the skirts of his garments;
:3 As the dew of Hermon,
    and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion:
    for there the LORD commanded the blessing,
    even life for evermore.

In order to realize the impact of these metaphors we need to know a little Eastern manners and customs. Regarding precious ointment upon the head: According to Bishop K. C. Pillai the high cast people in the east bathe daily, but on Saturday for men and Friday for women they have a special ceremonial bath using linseed oil and coconut oil. They take very good care of the body, teeth, and hair because they believe that they are stewards of their bodies and God dwells within. During the oil bath the head is messaged first with oil and then the neck, shoulders, and body; the oil drips down upon the beards and skirts of the garments (towels around their waists).  After the oil bath they find a place with flowing water like a waterfall or shower to bathe using soap made from ground soap nuts. Afterwards they eat and rest. This is very refreshing and peaceful, all their cares are washed away. Consider the state of mind and body after this treatment, take a moment and think about it. Believers dwelling together in unity has this effect.

E.W. Bullinger describes the dew of Hermon and the mountains of Zion: The dew was copious (plentiful) that fell on Hermon, the highest peak in the north, which represents Asher, Ephraim, Manassseh, Zebulon, and Issachar, and in the south, Zion, which represents Judah. "The idea is not in the motion of this dew, from Hermon to Zion, but in its uniting both in its copious descent." Which is a metaphor illustrating brethern dwelling together in unity. And, "for there the Lord (Jehovah) commanded the blessing, even life for everymore."

What is more important, watching that TV program, playing that video/computer game, or reading the Word, spending time with Believers, and serving God's people?

Do you always have the TV on when you are home? How often is the radio on, or do you have your iPod continually pummeling you with non-biblical music? All this feeds your mind whether you realize it or not. The worldly messages that are delivered to your brain is a lot of trash that causes fear, envy, and strife causing you to become distracted from the truth of God's Word. What you feed your mind settles in your heart and out of the heart come the issues of life. (Prov. 4:23) Do you want to know what is in your heart? Listen to your words.

How much are you exercising? What is your motivation to do so? We should take care of our bodies and not abuse them, we are ambassadors of Christ but is your exercising stealing your time?

I Timothy 4
:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little:
    but godliness is profitable unto all things,
        having promise of the life that now is,
        and of that which is to come.

How much TV do you watch? Is this a regular occurrence every night? What are the messages that you are allowing in your mind? The TV provides violence, justifying it, and how to get away with it. There is more sex on TV now, are the girls on the TV or computer far more enticing than your wife?

Proverbs 5
:18 Let thy fountain be blessed:
    and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
:19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe;
    let her breasts satisfy thee at all times;
    and be thou ravished always with her love.
:20 And why wilt thou, my son,
    be ravished with a strange woman,
    and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
:21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD,
    and he pondereth all his goings.
:22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself,
    and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
:23 He shall die without instruction;
    and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

Women, are you focusing on the men in movies and on TV and measuring your man according to them? Don't get sucked into the world's view of a wife, return to the Word. You are to reverence your husbands, respect, honor, and reverence him for his conduct of life. (Eph 5:22-24, 33) Wives are to also submit yourselves unto your husbands, as he is lord of the household as Christ is head of the church.

 The TV degrades our moral standards. It is teaching us (especially our youth) that having sex outside marriage is acceptable and that violence is the norm. According to the TV "alternative life-styles" are normal as well - which it is not! (Rom 1:16-32)

What are you doing with your time? Is it being stolen from you by endless meaningless activities? Only you can answer that. You must get your priorities straight. We are ambassadors for Christ. (II Cor 5:20)

There are a great number of good causes that men have devised and hundreds of charities to give to with your time and money. What is your motivation for being involved, how much time are you devoting to it? The best "charitable" activity: God would have all men be saved and come unto a knowledge of the truth. (I Tim 2:4) What are you doing with your time? We are to pray the Lord of harvest for laborers. (Matt 9:37, 38)  Then, spend your time bringing them up in God's Word. I am not saying to not be involved in charities but what is your priority, what is the profit, and is the time you spend balanced with other areas of your life? 

Satan's intent is to steal, kill, and destroy; if he can steal your time so that you don't read God's Word, spend time with God's people, edify people, glorify God, and teach God's Word he has succeeded in stealing from you.

Do not let yourself be distracted from the truth and intentions of God's Word. Only you can get honest with yourself, do you want to live for God, who saw fit to call you to His family and give you everlasting life, or are you content to live according to the world and it's corrupt morals? Don't let Satan steal your life from you, stay focused on God's Word.

Psalm 1
:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
    nor standeth in the way of sinners,
    nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD;
    and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
        that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
    his leaf also shall not wither;
    and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.