TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. (Psalm 119:15-16 ESV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• Last night, I went to an awards banquet. Do you have any clue how much pressure there is to have a good hair day on a rainy evening when you’re attending a banquet for 140-ish professional hair stylists?! It’s intense, I promise.
Everyone looked beautiful! There were lots of cheers and a few tears too. I was honored to be included and am so happy for all the much-deserved recognition these people received! This is a hard-working team!
The only hiccup in the evening was outside the banquet room… a jazz concert was being played. Very loudly. So loud, I could hear it above the presenters, the DJ’s between-awards music, and even a team of servers who were bringing in meals, refilling glasses, clearing dishes, etc. And I was on the other side of the room, driving the slideshow.
Obviously, that was distracting. I thought about it as I drove home and realized that we face the same kind of din.
As we go through life, and we do our best to live for Jesus, our focus is constantly being challenged by a lot of distractions. I know I skirted this issue in yesterday’s post, but the topic is so crucial and the best illustration I can give is one that is going to surprise everyone: basketball.
I am SOOOOOO not a sports girl, but I have watched basketball. And I know that when a player goes to the foul line and is trying to focus on the shot, the opposing team’s crowd will yell, scream, and wave their arms in an attempt to distract him. The more pressure there is to score the point, the louder the distractions.
On the rare occasion when I see these basketball moments, I’m usually impressed by the laser-focus of the player. They know that their opposition wants them to miss, but they keep their eyes focused on the goal.
There’s a saying that goes, “If the devil won’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.” Distractions keep us from giving it all to Jesus. They keep our heads down instead of up. When we’re distracted, we forget to trust. We forget that we’re not in control and then anxiety kicks in. We end up putting priority on the wrong things.
In Psalms 119:15-16, it says, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word” (ESV).
May we be intentional with our focus, continually looking to Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Today, as you pray, thank Jesus for being worthy of your focus. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be laser-focused so you won’t be tempted by distractions.
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