Distractions

DISTRACTIONS

“But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” - Matthew 14:30

It was a Saturday afternoon. I was about 15 years old when it happened. Our family was outside on a sunny summer day, mowing the front yard. Dad was using the riding mower. The front yard is rather steep, so he had to balance himself to keep the mower from turning over as he mowed. Using a riding mower on such a steep area is probably not a good idea, but he did it anyhow.

The road on the mountain was a one-lane dirt road at the time. It ran parallel to the bottom of the front yard. A guy was driving his truck on the road and saw Dad riding a mower on that steep yard. He took his eyes off the road and kept watching Dad balance the mower as he mowed. What the driver didn't notice was that another pickup was on the ridge road going in the opposite direction. The two pickups hit each other, knocking one of the trucks off the road into the wooded area below the road. No one was injured and some neighbors came and eventually pulled the truck out from under the hill.

I've never forgotten that incident. From the place I was mowing, I could see the two trucks were about to collide, but I was powerless to keep it from happening. It all took place because one driver was distracted.

Here's a Bible question for you. How many people in the Bible walked on water? The correct answer, of course, is two. We know that Jesus walked on the water, but most people forget that Peter also walked on the water. When he saw Jesus walking on the water, Peter asked Jesus if he could also walk on the water. When he was invited to come, Peter got out of the boat and began walking on the water.

Yet something happened. The Bible says, “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink.” The text seems to indicate that he had his eyes on Jesus when he began walking on water, but the stormy conditions caught his attention. Peter got distracted and down in the water he went.

I can identify with that story. There have been times when I've gotten distracted from my walk with the Lord … and down I went. Distractions can hinder us. Distractions can lead to failure. Peter got distracted and began to sink. Perhaps you feel like you are sinking today. If you trace it back, you'll probably find that you got distracted.

The enemy wants us to get our eyes off of Jesus. He wants us to focus on anything except the Lord. To be rather honest, it is easy to get distracted. So many things are placed along the path to get our attention. Some seem decent and others are downright sinful. Yet all of them are meant to divert our attention away from the Lord. They are distractions.

Let's get brutally honest for a moment. Television, Facebook and hobbies can easily distract us from the things that matter most. It seems like many believers have been distracted by politics and unnecessary religious debates. Enormous amount of time is wasted on fruitless, futile endeavors. Instead of walking with God and winning souls, most are distracted, pursuing something other than God's will.

Returning to the story of Peter walking on water, the distractions he faced were real. Stormy conditions existed. When he focused on the storm rather than the Savior, his faith turned to fear. Instead of walking on water, he began to sink in the water. Distractions have a way of doing that. Perhaps that is a description of your life right now. At one point, you were walking in victory, but now you are sinking in defeat. Distractions have caused your focus to shift from Jesus to something else. Now things are a mess.

Here's some good news. If distractions have diverted your attention away from the Lord, He is still merciful. Perhaps your focus has shifted from Jesus to the world. You may have taken your eyes off of Jesus, but He has never lost sight of You. You may have gotten distracted, but He hasn't. Perhaps you've been unfaithful, but He remains faithful. When Peter got distracted, he began to sink. In that critical moment, he cried to Jesus, saying, “Lord, save me.” It was a short, pitiful prayer, but Jesus answered by stretching forth His hand and rescuing Peter.

If you feel like you are sinking, call on the Lord. Look to Jesus, by faith, and ask Him to help you. He still rescues sinking people.

Yes, distractions can be destructive. That's why the Bible instructs us to be diligent. Walk by faith, not by sight. When you walk by sight, you'll be easily distracted and defeated.

Keep focused on Jesus.