By: Elizabeth Haarberg

Distraction

To listen to today’s devotion click this SoundCloud link.

I’ve felt myself getting distracted lately. Kind of like when a dog sees a squirrel, they forget what they were doing and chase the squirrel. It’s so easy to listen to the latest news or drama on social media and let the emotions play ‘squirrel’ with our minds.

“Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions.” Proverbs 4:25 The Message

I remember visiting a big city for the first time when I was in the second grade. It was the first time I had seen skyscrapers as large as these and I was mesmerized by the city life. I was from a small town and spent most of my time on the family ranch. It was easy to forget about where I lived and all the good that was there when I was in the hurry-up life of the city. With all the cars, people, and shopping, I was easily distracted by this new found way of living.

The distractions of the world can be like the trip to the big city. It takes our eyes off of all the good in our life. Especially right now, bad news seems to win. We feel our blood pressure rise, our voices get loud and we want justice. We take our eyes off of Christ and next thing we know, squirrel!

The peace that only God can give has never been so important to hang onto. In order for us to offer others peace, we need to spend time with God so He can give peace to us.

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33 English Standard Version

It takes diligence, grace, and a desire to do something other than what is distracting us. I do know that it is really important for us to spend time with God right now. The distraction from the world is strong. Worship, pray, praise, listen to a sermon, and rest in God’s presence to battle the distraction.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado