1 Peter 2:25 - Distraction

“For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

Sheep are not smart. If you have been in church for long, you have probably heard a pastor or teacher talk about how sheep and humans are alike – a comparison I often resent but cannot not refute. My favorite sheep example is that sheep are so stupid they will eat and walk, and eat and walk, right over a cliff. I don’t know if that is true or not, but I’ve heard it many times and it definitely communicates that sheep are not bright.

But I’ve been thinking, maybe sheep aren’t overly dumb, maybe they are just ultra-focused. Maybe they are so focused on eating that they lose track of where they are, where the herd is, and more importantly, where the shepherd is. Maybe they are often lost because they get distracted by their activities, not because they are stupid.

If that is the case, then sheep and humans are definitely alike. Are there any activities that distract you from our Good Shepherd? School? Relationships? TV, the internet, anything? The world we live in throws distractions our way every moment of every day – it wouldn’t be so bad if the distractions weren’t so…distracting.

Distraction comes in handy for Lynda and me right now. If Levi is getting into something that he shouldn’t mess with, all we have to do is say, “Hey Levi, look at this!” And shake something that makes noise or roll something at him – and he turns from the off-limits thing and chases after the noisy, shiny thing. It is amazingly effective.

Unfortunately, distraction is just as effective against us in our walk with Christ. We can have the best intentions and follow Christ as closely as possible. But then something comes up – a relationship, an emergency, an opportunity to be selfish, something noisy or shiny – and we start chasing that instead of Christ. It happens all the time – we don’t intend to drop Jesus – we just turn our eyes to other things and we lose track of Him.

Take a moment and think of two things that distract you from following Christ the way you would like to, or keep you from spending time with Him. It may take a few minutes to sort them out, but don’t give up – a little introspective thought won’t hurt.

Today is Ash Wednesday – why not give up one or both things for lent? If they are things you cannot completely do without, set limits on them. The point of this exercise is to remove the distraction for 40 days and replace the time usually spent on the distraction with Jesus – reading the bible, praying, serving others. It is a great way to return to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.

And who knows, when Easter comes, maybe your distraction will not be so distracting anymore…