Di Bassinga Diaries: Distraction

We live in a world that's designed to grab our attention. Everything around us, from billboards to book covers to designs and patterns on clothing, is designed with our attention in mind. Further, we have these mystical devices (our phones, computers, and TVs) which connect us in such a way that wasn't known before this century. On top of that fact is one that there are people whose job it is to make interacting with these things so exciting or "necessary" that, one way or another, we get sucked into this digital/imaginary world, often without even thinking about it.

These devices are great, some of mine come in handy every day, I'm sure yours do to. And advertisement isn't all bad, the products displayed often do provide some benefit to us. In the same vein, the opportunities we're presented with can be great for us and those around us. But it's easy to get so caught up in these devices, goods, services, and opportunities that we get distracted from the responsibilities around us. The issue, believe it or not, isn't actually the devices themselves or the advertisements around us or the designers behind them all. These devices are not the source of our distraction; nor is God the one placing temptation in front of us as a test. The source of our distraction is our desire. Let me explain.

The Lord Does Not Tempt Us

"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." (James 1:13-15)

The Word is pretty clear on this matter: temptation is not in God's character, He wants and has nothing to do with it. Among the biggest reasons that we're distracted is that we're born in sin (or "shortcoming," this is where the necessity for being "born again" comes about; see John 3), and because of this we start our lives at a bit of a disadvantage: our flesh is the first piece of us that has control. The process of sanctification takes us from that desolate condition to one that's pure and holy; but the process isn't complete until we get to Heaven, so for now we're left in a battle between our flesh and our spirit. That might be a lofty idea, but I'm getting somewhere, I promise.

Since we're sinful in nature, and thus easily swayed, it makes sense both that we would have sinful desires and that we would find ways to justify them. If you've spent enough time telling yourself a story about your sin, you're more inclined to believe it. This, I believe, is why we are the source of our own distractions. We've been raised in a world that is ruled by Satan (see 2 Corinthians 4:3-4), and we've been influenced by him for so long that our hearts and desires are muddled. This isn't the end of the story, though.

Hope for Renewal

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

"Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble for it will lead people into more ungodliness..." (2 Timothy 2:14-16)

The worst distractions are the things that take our eyes off of Jesus and eternity. The things that cause us to stress and worry rather than to trust in God's power. The thoughts that have us believe that we can't be loved or forgiven rather than that Jesus already loves and forgives in abundance. The ideas that try to convince us that any of us might know better than God rather than that place back in the Word asking the Lord for wisdom and discernment.

We can't help the fact that there are distractions all around us. What we can and ought to do is remind ourselves that we have the Word of God to guide us through. The Word has a lot to say about what we can do to fight off these distractions, separate what's from God and what isn't, and to live "single-mindedly." I'll get into all that in the next entry, but for now I believe it important to remind you: Christ has given us victory over all things. It's up to us to accept that and act accordingly.

Be blessed.

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Verses to Look Back On:

James 1:13-15*

Psalm 37:1-40

1 Corinthians 10:13

2 Corinthians 4:1-6

Ephesians 6:1-20

Colossians 2:1-3:17