Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Pastors’ Column – 09/28/15



Distractions. As I sit here, writing this article, the phone is ringing off the hook. Its a distraction, yes, but a necessary one.

Some distractions are this way; they are necessary parts of life that we cant avoid. And, we all need some good distractions on occasion. Life tends to get monotonous without a little variety and unexpected fun from time to time.

But some types of distractions are definitely bad. Recently, I had to take the Facebook application off of my phone. The pull to see what my “friends” were doing and posting was pretty strong for me. It was becoming a distraction that was bad. It was beginning to take the place of other things that were important or necessary, and thats not healthy.

Distractions can also be dangerous. Weve all heard of “distracted driving,” havent we? Texting, eating, doing your make-up, and shaving all fall into the category of “distracting activities while driving.” These tasks take your eyes off the road and take your attention away from something more important. These distractions are not only dangerous for you as the driver, but to everyone around you on the road.

You know, there are a lot of spiritual distractions for Christians today. There are plenty of things vying for our attention in this world. In fact, almost anything can become a distraction, even if its a good thing.

Jesus friend, Martha experienced this (Luke 10:38-42). She invited Jesus into her home and, instead of enjoying his company, got distracted by serving her company. And she got a little miffed, too. Here she was, serving their company while her sister, Mary, was just sitting and listening to Jesus talk. Certainly, Mary could help, too! Jesus should tell her to help!

But Jesus tells Martha that she is letting herself be distracted by the cares of the world. What Mary was doing was focusing her attention on what really mattered. Martha learned that day that as humans, we must guard against letting the things of this world distract us from whats really important.

Spending time with people and forming relationships is important. Listening and meditating on Gods Word is vital. And keeping our eyes and attention on Jesus is essential.

As the world gets darker and more evil, its extra important that we fix our eyes on Jesus. Abiding in His Word is the only way we will stay on course, especially in a time when false teachers will try to distract us from the truth.

Immerse yourself in Gods Word; learn from Jesus, and He will guide your steps and guard you from all unhealthy distractions.








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