Have you ever wondered what is the purpose of television, games, movies and social media? Many will say it was created to entertain and inform us, but what we may not have noticed is that when we are constantly focused on these things, we are usually not listening to what God is saying.
To understand what he wants us to do, we must give him our undivided attention. This is accomplished when we find a quiet place where we can pray, worship and be still before him. To those who are not followers of God, this sounds silly, but the ones who cry out for his refining fire to purge their minds and hearts realize the desire for entertainment can become a snare trap distracting us from our mission.
There is an old saying when a person is easily distracted, someone will say “squirrel!” This means they are like a dog or cat that cannot keep themselves from chasing a squirrel no matter how much the owner tells them to stop. Are we like this with God?
I’m reminded of a story about a king who wanted his daughter to be married. There were three suitors and, as a test, they were to carry a full cup of water across the banquet hall without spilling a drop. The first contender was booed, and he spilled his cup. The second was cheered, but he also spilled the water. The third man received much screaming from the crowd, but he managed to hand the cup to the king without spilling a drop. When asked how he was successful, he said, the others became distracted by the people and took their eyes away from the task. I decided not to listen to anyone and to only focus on the king’s desires.
In our modern world, the Christian tries to live in both the secular and spiritual worlds at the same time and often ends up frustrated and exhausted. It has to do with focus, and this is a result of our love. How so? Since we do what we love, we are also serving whom we love.