“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the Rover, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15
Distractions.
These days, there are so many things that demand our attention. Unless you live in complete isolation, each day brings new distractions. New situations vying for space in our heart or mind. It’s easy to get up each day and get pulled into life and what it demands of us. Some things can’t be ignored, like family, work, health, kids, finances. They are big parts of our lives.
But there are also small things that distract us. Social media. Emails. Different appointments. Things on our to-do list. Some of these distract us before we even get out of bed. And whilst they seem small things, before we know it, these little things that captured our attention can become big things that hold our attention. They direct our heart. They become the driving force of our actions and thoughts for the day.
Gradually, these so called small things get bigger and can become idols. They can become the catalyst to turning our eyes away from God. If this is you, or if this sounds familiar, don’t be too hard on yourself because you are not alone. Many of us, if we’re honest, have been there. Or are there right now (talking from personal experience, here!) The reality is, it’s easy to lose sight of God in the midst of life. Or to take His love and presence for granted. After all, we read in His Word that He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6), so you would be forgiven for taking God’s presence and provision for granted.
We have a choice.
Yet, in the same way that we make the choice to focus on the demands of life, we can make the choice to focus on God. And the truth is that it is a choice. One that only we can make. God will not force himself onto us. He loves us too much to force us into a relationship with him. But He does give us everything we need to make the choice to choose him. We have His Holy Spirit and His Word to lead and guide us each day.
Walking with Jesus is a daily choice. Each day, we need to decide if we are going to follow Jesus again (or if you’re like me, sometimes it’s an hourly decision.) Each day, we need to choose where we focus our heart and our eyes. Joshua 24:15 articulates this best,
“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the Rover, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Who will we serve?
We need to choose this day who we will serve. [bctt tweet=”Are we going to choose to put Jesus above all else, or will we look to other idols? #acw #leilaarmstrong #chooseJesus” username=”acwriters”] Are we going to let the distractions of social media or work take our eyes away from Him first thing in the morning? Or last thing at night? Are we going to keep putting off spending time in his Word to do other things? Or will we choose to open his Word and meditate on his promises? Will we choose to believe that time at his feet is more nourishing than anything the world can give us, or will we put our trust in worldly practices to replenish us?
Keep making the choice to follow Jesus.
Having walked with Jesus for a while now, and having tried many worldly things to find peace and contentment, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that choosing Jesus is better than anything else. Even with all the chaos of life. With all the sickness. With all the fear and stress. Jesus is still the best choice. His grace is sufficient for every weakness and in every season (2 Corinthians 12:9). His love and mercy is new each morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). In Jesus, we have everything we need and more.
As for me and my house, we choose Jesus. Each day, I get up, and I choose Jesus. I choose not to open certain apps until I have read some of his Word first. Sometimes, that is as little as reading the verse of the day on my bible app, and some days it’s reading a passage. I don’t always get it right. I still have days where I make the wrong choice and let life distract me. But we’re all a work in progress, right? And so each day, I try again. I choose to love and obey and commit my life to Him. As a family, we choose to trust Him and let him guide us. And when we get it wrong, we try again.
Reflection
What about you? Do you find life distracting you or how do you keep choosing Jesus each day?
I needed to hear this today. I started something with good intentions but I’m letting it distract me. Thanks for the challenge to choose Him first.
I totally appreciate where you’re coming from, Dienece, because I find myself in the same situation more times that I would like to admit! It always starts with good intentions and so easily becomes all consuming. But thankfully, He is gracious and always has open arms for us. Thankful that you enjoyed the post. Thanks for sharing your thoughts xo