Driving down the road, I was fiddling with my heater. In the South, we fiddle. It’s because of good ole southern living that I was fiddling in the first place. You see, just last night, I had my air conditioner blowing…on high, mind you. But this morning, a chill had crept into the air, and the temperature in my car needed adjusting. So, I was fiddling.
Mid fiddle, I looked up. Some sort of road work machine was there. Thankfully, it was a good ways ahead, and I had plenty of time to adjust my speed and safely navigate around it. But it did make me aware that I was a distracted driver. As I thought about it, I realized just how easy it is to become distracted behind the wheel. Flipping radio channels or play lists, making a phone call, checking my face in the mirror, or as was the case today, trying to get the temperature just right, all remove my focus from where it needs to be—the road—and transfer it to me.
In fact, most of my distractions are all about me. Accommodating my mood influences my decision to change the music. Making that call boosts my sense of accomplishment as I strike through an item on my to-do list. I gaze into the mirror in hopes of reassuring myself that everything is in place. And it’s my comfort that begs me to adjust the settings on my AC. Distracted by something I see? Nosiness or satisfying my interest is probably to blame. Distracted by another driver? It’s likely because their driving is inconvenient to me: a slow pace that’s holding me up, a reckless move that irritates my sense of justice. Do you see where I am going with this?
Our sense of physical distraction gives us insight into spiritual distraction. Our eyes get off the road because WE get in the way. We start focusing on how we feel, our comfort, our need for reassurance, and we automatically lose interest in the road. The shift in our attention happens when we buy in to the feeling that something else MUST be observed. Truly, where we are headed for eternity should have top priority and full focus because we don’t “just” arrive there safely without some intentional navigation. Likewise, giving full heed to the drive is the only way to accomplish our calling. Fulfilling our purpose along life’s way can be derailed in an instant if distractions absorb our attention. Distractions are potential hazards, but they don’t have to be. If we settle things at the onset of our journey and remind ourselves that we aren’t traveling alone, we can navigate through life the way God intended, enjoying the journey without all the fiddling.
Tip/tidbit: Are you finding yourself frantically dashing through life? Your distracted state of mind could be hindering God’s best for your life. Pull over for a minute. Catch your breath. Ask God to help you set the pace He intended for you to live.
Mid fiddle, I looked up. Some sort of road work machine was there. Thankfully, it was a good ways ahead, and I had plenty of time to adjust my speed and safely navigate around it. But it did make me aware that I was a distracted driver. As I thought about it, I realized just how easy it is to become distracted behind the wheel. Flipping radio channels or play lists, making a phone call, checking my face in the mirror, or as was the case today, trying to get the temperature just right, all remove my focus from where it needs to be—the road—and transfer it to me.
In fact, most of my distractions are all about me. Accommodating my mood influences my decision to change the music. Making that call boosts my sense of accomplishment as I strike through an item on my to-do list. I gaze into the mirror in hopes of reassuring myself that everything is in place. And it’s my comfort that begs me to adjust the settings on my AC. Distracted by something I see? Nosiness or satisfying my interest is probably to blame. Distracted by another driver? It’s likely because their driving is inconvenient to me: a slow pace that’s holding me up, a reckless move that irritates my sense of justice. Do you see where I am going with this?
Our sense of physical distraction gives us insight into spiritual distraction. Our eyes get off the road because WE get in the way. We start focusing on how we feel, our comfort, our need for reassurance, and we automatically lose interest in the road. The shift in our attention happens when we buy in to the feeling that something else MUST be observed. Truly, where we are headed for eternity should have top priority and full focus because we don’t “just” arrive there safely without some intentional navigation. Likewise, giving full heed to the drive is the only way to accomplish our calling. Fulfilling our purpose along life’s way can be derailed in an instant if distractions absorb our attention. Distractions are potential hazards, but they don’t have to be. If we settle things at the onset of our journey and remind ourselves that we aren’t traveling alone, we can navigate through life the way God intended, enjoying the journey without all the fiddling.
Tip/tidbit: Are you finding yourself frantically dashing through life? Your distracted state of mind could be hindering God’s best for your life. Pull over for a minute. Catch your breath. Ask God to help you set the pace He intended for you to live.
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