A strange paradox happens in the lives of children. They can, in one instance, be the most impatient and enthusiastic participants- demanding events to move at the speed of “right now.” There is also the opposite: when you absolutely need them to move faster, and with a sense of urgency, they crawl at a snail’s pace, and that is almost an insult to snails.
It is not that they are moving any slower; it is that they become instantly distracted by every whim that crosses their mind. Putting on shoes halts when a toy is spotted out of the corner of their eye. Crossing the street pauses for a passing bug. Cleaning up their room stops because they hear a noise outside. None of these are bad, or even detrimental… but they do impede the progress of what could be.
I am too hard on children, for I am no better. As a follower of Christ, I know what I should be doing, but I am often distracted by every whim that crosses my mind. Reading God’s word, paused by random thoughts about meals. Devoting time to prayer- interrupted by thinking of a conversation that I had earlier in the day. Serving others- overloaded by a plate full of busyness.
We are all easily distracted. We all get caught up in a net, and it is difficult to break free. That is why Paul, as he writes to Timothy, encourages us not to become distracted by these extra things.
2 Timothy 2:3-6 “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.”
I have seen videos of fish caught in a net. They are tangled in a tricky situation. They are unable to escape; as the net moves higher in the water, the force traps them against the side of the net. The same thing can happen to us; the pressure and forces press us into the sides of the net. We are immobilized by obligations to things that are not God. The more we try to break free, the more tangled we become.
The solution is simple- change the person that you are trying to please. Are you trying to please yourself? A boss? A neighbor? Where do you feel that pressure to conform? Are you tangled in the affairs of everyday life? If you are, then remember that you are already beholden to someone else. It is easy to forget your purpose; we must stay on task and resist being distracted.
The solution is simple- change the person that you are trying to please. Are you trying to please yourself? A boss? A neighbor? Where do you feel that pressure to conform? Are you tangled in the affairs of everyday life? If you are, then remember that you are already beholden to someone else. It is easy to forget your purpose; we must stay on task and resist being distracted.