Distractions - Part I
My 4-year-old son had his first soccer practice a week ago. My husband and I stood on the sidelines watching the group of pre-K boys chase the soccer ball as a mob like it was their last McDonald's chicken nugget. It was hilarious! One particular moment made the whole day unforgettable. My son was running down the field with all his might trying to get the ball, but right before his foot touched the soccer ball a huge dragonfly flew right in front of his face and his attention immediately switched to the enormous bug that took his little cleats in a whole different direction all the way off the field and towards the woods! It was one of the funniest, distracted moments ever.
I love to think about this humorous moment in my son's life and I will remind him of it years from now when he's a teenager and trying to be cool. But, I was also reminded by this cute soccer moment of how easy it is for any of us to be distracted from the path and goal that God has for us in life. We may be going strong with a laser focus towards the amazing goal that God has for our lives, but all too often, Satan flies a distraction right in front of our noses, that may even seem innocent and cute, only to take our eyes off of the ball and take us in a whole different direction that could lead to our destruction.
There are several main ideas I learned from this soccer moment that I want to share with you the next few weeks:
1. Don't go it alone.
So much of my life has been about me. It sounds extremely selfish, but much of the time I have gone down the wrong path and been enticed by the wrong distractions because I thought that I could do things better by myself. But all too soon, I found myself ensnared in the clutches of my own demise and poor choices. Whether it was dating the wrong person, putting a pair of cute shoes on a credit card or going to a party by myself that I knew was probably not a good idea, I could have avoided pain, debt and danger by including wise people, or even a trusted friend, in my decision-making. It may not make me feel good to have someone bucking my plans of immediate gratification, but it will take me much further towards my ultimate goal of God's best plan for me.
Proverbs 13:20 says, "Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble." This sounds like a harsh warning, but it's proven true in my life and I'm sure in your life more often that we want to admit. A good friend is one who doesn't always keep you happy and hearing what you want to hear; they love you with a steadfast commitment that is even willing to sacrifice the friendship if it means telling you the honest truth for your well-being.
This verse also says, "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed" (Ecclesiastes 4:9). For a prideful, task-driven person like me, this is a great reminder that I need good people in my life to give me the loving, wise counsel that will prevent further hiccups and hangovers. I need people who are going to point me in the right direction so I can experience the presence of a loving God and His peace.
Seventeen years ago, I walked into the student union cafe at my small college in Springfield, Missouri trying to grab lunch quickly before heading to my next class. I saw two of my close friends having an in-depth conversation at a table and I quickly joined them not knowing what was going on, but wanting to be part of the action. Before even catching my breath, I blurted out, "I totally get what you're saying, Trevor! This is what I did and I think you should do this."
My friend Melissa bursted out with irritation, "Be quiet, Jenny! You don't know what we're talking about and you have no right to just come barging into our conversation as a know-it-all."
I sat silent with tears welling up in my eyes. It hurt to hear those words, but she was right. It was wrong for me to barge into their conversation without first listening to what they were talking about, and it was wrong for me to think that I have the answer to every problem. It was a painful jolt to my pride, but it was needed.
After that harsh moment, God opened my eyes to how much more I need true friends who will keep me in line and tell me the honest, loving truth that will prevent me from making an even bigger fool of myself.
It's so easy to let little distractions take us off course and sidetrack us from God's best path, but He wants to help us make better choices and grow in wisdom by placing solid, trustworthy people in our lives. Who are your true "teammates"? Who are the friends that will keep you in the game running towards the goal?
Remember, we are never meant to go through life alone. Companions help us keep our focus and direction.
