The Busyness of Distraction

Our Redemption Community got together a week ago and did a Split.  That means the men and the women separated to have some more specific accountability and vulnerability.  The main questions were how our current relationship with God was and what we would like it to be.  The main theme through most of the men's perspectives ended up being distraction, stress, and not finding time to focus on the LORD.  My personal confession was that I was allowing the stress of my job to distract me from my purpose and even trying to handle it myself without the LORD by finding an escape of Netflix-make (using Netflix shows to escape thinking about work).  Is there anything wrong with watching some Netflix?  Well, maybe.  It comes down to motivation and reason, even if the content is worthy.  If I am watching to relax and spend time when I have excess just to have some fun, more than likely there is nothing wrong with it, but if I am watching in order to forget the day, distract myself from realities which keep me from seeking the LORD's direction in those things and I end up ignoring responsibilities and family, I believe that reveals my heart.  Motivation of action is much harder to nail down but just as important as the action itself.  Christ's sermon on the mount equating what goes on in our hearts to the external action is where I get this point.  What is in my heart and mind matters.  I work hard at my job teaching my students and loving these who many would consider "the least of these," though I am flawed and therefore so is my activity.  There are times when I feel I do it well, overall, but then there are specific stresses within the job that give me cause to take extra burden upon myself.  When I do this I have options: try to fix it myself and stress out because I can't do it all well enough, or work hard while knowing that the LORD has me covered even when I mess up and can't manage everything in my purview.  I tend to do the former often.  It is worth noting that as we grow in our relationship with the LORD, we will tend to recognize motivations that would not please the LORD more readily and can call it as the sin it is and confess and repent of it more quickly.
LORD, I believe.  Please help my unbelief!

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