Focus Divided

Last night I intended to read a book. Laura had started a movie that did not interest me, but as I sat there for the next hour something interesting happened. Though I was very interested in my book I read about three pages (and not too well I'm afraid) and I was drawn to the movie. While I prepared for bed I thought about how the evening went, and repented that I had allowed myself to be robbed of time with God for a movie I didn't care about even after watching it.

God showed me something through it all: if I had to be truthful, I would say that night sums up most of my Christian existence. I know I am not alone. Our Christianity is like a good book we pick up intending to immerse ourselves in but the world grabs our attention. We're robbed of scripture truth and spend our lives playing at following Jesus instead of really doing it. Now there's nothing inherently wrong with sitting down to watch a movie. Yet that was not my intention: my intention was to fellowship with God and I missed out. I was not actually robbed of my time with God - sadly, I gave it up. I can't blame the T.V. for my divided focus.

Thanks to the gracious God we serve, there is a lesson from this for me and you. Don't play at your relationship with God. In the "texting" age in which we live, nothing is more frustrating than attempting to have a conversation with someone who is constantly looking down at their phone and sending text after text. Let's not be this way with God. Let us place ourselves in a position to give Him our full, undivided attention. The devil likes nothing more than to hinder us from walking in the awesome power of our Savior. He loves it when we open the Bible without focus or diligence. I have resolved not to rob myself of time with God again. Will you?