Distractions Can Kill

I love bicycling. I am blessed to live just outside the hustle and bustle of city life so I get to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation as I ride. Another blessing to living just outside the city is that traffic is minimal. This way there are at least fewer drivers to be concerned with while on my ride (that is certainly something to be thankful for these days). Every bicyclist knows that when riding it is important to stay alert to your surroundings, especially to oncoming traffic. After all, one wrong move could be disastrous. And of course, living outside the city you also have to be aware of the dogs who run loose, as well as the occasional cow that escapes (after all, I’d certainly not want to have a cowlision!).

There are so many areas of life in which we must stay alert and avoid distractions. For example, drivers must avoid texting while driving to avoid a deadly accident. Surgeons must get plenty of rest before beginning a day of surgeries so that they are totally alert in the operating room. Students must deliberately concentrate on what their teacher is saying so they can learn the material and be ready for the upcoming exam. Did you know that Christians must stay on the alert too. Why? Because our enemy “prows around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). No doubt, staying alert in the Christian life is a very serious matter.

There once was a king who was cautioned to remain alert and yet he allowed distractions (in this case, women; and I mean, lots of women) to impair his alertness and before he knew it he was devoured by the enemy. His name? Solomon. Now, King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived (1 King 4:31; 10:23-24) and yet he did not remain alert. He knew the right thing to do. After all, God had clearly warned him not to associate with the people of other nations—which would include not marrying them (1 Kings 11:1-3). But King Solomon did not listen. The end result? “His wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God…So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD” (1 Kings 11:4, 6). Solomon became so distracted by these women that he not only worshipped their false gods but he went as far as to build places of worship for these false gods. God became angry with Solomon. Solomon later died and the kingdom, with the exception of one tribe, was taken away from his son. A sad ending to what began as a very promising life. Why? Because King Solomon became distracted and pursued evil rather than God’s best.

What’s distracting you today? What is the devil using in your life to distract you from pursuing God’s best? Remember, the devil is your adversary who wants nothing more than to devour you. That is why Peter gives this admonition to believers: “Resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5:9). Don’t fight the temptation because, like Solomon, you will not win. We resist the devil by fleeing! Paul instructed believers to flee evil and pursue righteousness (see 1 Corinthians 6:18; 10:14; 1 Timothy 6:11ff and 2 Timothy 2:22). So, flee anything the devil  might use in your life that would distract you from God’s best for your life. After all, some distractions can kill!