08/19/2025
Are there things in our lives that distract us from focusing on Jesus Christ? You know the ones... an unresolved argument that worries and distracts us during prayer, a problem with our home or automobile that nags at us when we sit to read and study scripture, or perhaps too many planned activities in our day that tempt us to place them before the important things of life… like worship. Do these symptoms of an overly busy life sound familiar? Well, this problem is quite common in most people’s everyday life but today let’s look at this phenomenon with our focus specifically on our spiritual lives.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28 ESV
Neither God nor Jesus wants to play second fiddle... They want to be first and foremost in our lives, and they will help us remove the obstacles that stand in our way of doing this if we so desire. Is that truly your desire? If it is then we should bring these issues to Jesus, and He will settle, heal, and organize your life to suit God's purposes, and place you at peace... He will give you rest for your soul.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."”
Matthew 11:29-30 ESV
The easier things to fix are the material ones... so don't put off fixing them until the problems have mounted to the point that you become overwhelmed! Fix each broken thing in your car and home as it breaks and be realistic about what you can accomplish in a day... always place your faith first and then fill in whatever room is left with the everyday things you need to accomplish, not the other way around! Jesus can help us do this if we pray for His guidance.
“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Philippians 4:6 ESV
The most difficult distractions for us to solve are the spiritual ones and those that deal with relationships. There are times when Ann and I have an argument about something... I know you find that just unfathomable... right? Well, it isn’t, everyone has disagreements in their marriages and relationships, but when these occur you will notice some common trends. The first is that for the duration of the argument you are unsettled spiritually. You go to the Lord in prayer and the issue you are having overshadows your spiritual peace, and reaching out to God becomes difficult. The second is that you are reluctant to admit to the Lord that such a thing could possibly be your fault, and lastly... you ask the Him to help you find a righteous resolution so that your spiritual life can once again become settled and your prayers focused and within His will.
God knows we will have disagreements, and He knows we will become angry, but He also wishes for us to quickly resolve these disputes and not to let them fester. When we find ourselves focusing on our anger and become intransigent then Satan has an open door into our soul. Listen to what Paul says regarding this...
“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”
Ephesians 4:26-27 ESV
If we want to see an example of what not to do in disagreement... just look at our nation today. There is no reconciliation, debate has ceased, political walls have been built up, and Satan is ruling the day. Let’s not allow this to be the way we handle adversity in our lives, family, and marriage. Seek God's moderation in every disagreement and take His ruling as our resolution. Amazingly, we are not always right! Surprising, isn't it? But fortunately, God is. He can lead us to agreement and contrition if we listen to Him... ASK and LISTEN. Let God rule your life and not your own emotions and selfishness. We may be right this time, but perhaps not... let the Lord show us the path to take and trust Him in it. We should put away our pride and selfishness, and lean heavily on love and understanding, and we should never be slow in giving or asking for forgiveness.
“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
Matthew 5:23-24 ESV
If we do this, it will remove the major roadblocks from our spiritual peace and quickly restore our relationship with one another, and God, to its proper balance. Don't leave the door open to the devil nor let your everyday worldly life encumber your faith. Let nothing overshadow your ability to pray and focus on your worship of the Father and Jesus Christ. Remove the obstructions before they have an opportunity to pile up and discourage us to the point that they appear nearly insurmountable. One step at a time, one problem at a time... each done in perfect order will keep us at peace within ourselves and stop us from stumbling or falling.
So, if we find ourselves in an argument, it is good to swallow our pride and be the peacemaker... today... NOW! If there are broken things in our life that distract us from our faith write them down and begin fixing them one at a time... NOW! And, if our life is too busy and we find that we are prioritizing worldly tasks before our spiritual needs then we should step back and reorganize our life; laying out our spiritual day and then packing the world’s problems into the gaps that are left... do this NOW! If we can do these things then we will find peace and contentment will flow over us, and the peace of Christ will return to our lives. Always remember this... Jesus didn't run from place to place... He walked in peace and was guided by God.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for guiding me through the conflicts in my life. Thank you for helping me resolve the disagreements so that I can continue walking peaceably with you, without any distraction of unfinished worldly business that worries or torments me. Holy Father, you bring peace to my life, and you restore joy where suffering and anger once ruled. I praise your wisdom and knowledge in all things and ask that you impart a measure of them to me so that I can quickly resolve those things that distract my attention from you. I ask that you remove my selfishness and pride Lord. Let reason rule the day in my home and marriage and help me close the door of disagreement on the devil. Father, give him no entrance into my life and help me lead my family away from his clutches. Gracious Lord, help me order my life in a way that places you first in all things... even arguments and disagreements. Never let me place my desires, wants, or cares before you. Let my trust always be in you and your ability to resolve and sequence all things of my life to your glory. Praised be your name, for you are the great mediator, the fixer of lives, and the savior of souls... in you is righteousness, holiness, peace, and joy forever. Help me now Abba and let me give all the glory that comes from my life of righteousness and making peace be yours forever.
Amen! Amen! Amen!
Rich Forbes