The other morning I woke up my 6 year old daughter Jenna for school. She groggily got up out of bed with her hair sticking out in different directions and began to walk to the bathroom.
I asked her (as I do every morning) to brush her teeth, brush her hair, & get dressed for school.
This is not new or different. She knows that she is supposed to do this every day and honestly it's kind of silly that I still tell her to do it. She's in 1st grade, she's not a baby, but I still do it.
So I headed back to my bathroom. I finished my makeup, straightened my hair, and finished getting dressed. Now, normally by this time Jenna has already finished getting ready, bopped into our bathroom, hugged her daddy, & sat down so I can straighten her crazy frizz we call hair.
Not this morning. This morning I was completely ready and she had not come in yet to have her mane tamed. Hmmm...
I walked to the other side of the house and looked into her bathroom. Empty. No one there. That's when I heard the talking coming from her room. Hmmm....
I peeked my head into her room and sure enough there she was, still in her PJs, hair still a crazy frizz mess, playing with BARBIES!
She jumped when she heard me! She had been caught! She popped to her feet and ran into the bathroom with no explanation or words.
SHE HAD BEEN DISTRACTED
Have you ever been distracted?
If you're honest with yourself... Yes, you have been distracted at some point.
At school when you were supposed to be listening to the teacher and something caught your eye. (something outside the window, the clock, dots on the ceiling, the cute boy that sits in front of you...)
At home when you were supposed to be doing your homework or cleaning your room but you REALLY wanted to be watching tv/ playing computer/ texting/ chatting/ skyping/ reading...
Or maybe at church. *GASP!* THAT'S RIGHT I SAID IT! Church!
Today I want to talk a little about those distractions that take our attention off of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 2:1 says, "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." (NIV)
What is a distraction?
The dictionary says it is "something that makes it difficult to think or pay attention".
So... in Hebrews it warns us to pay more careful attention, and a distraction is something that makes it difficult to pay attention. Our warning is... "Don't Get Distracted!"
*Megan Story!*
I will admit/confess that I have horrible ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) I was diagnosed over 15 years ago when I was 12 years old.
I still deal with it as an adult! It's Crazy! No kidding, I can get distracted with a Q-tip!
"I know I need to be picking up clothes & doing laundry but... oh my ear is bothering me I should clean it out... now that I've cleaned out my ear & I have the Q-tips out I should clean between the buttons of my keyboard... oh now that I'm AT the computer I should google that thing I've been wanting to look up... BOOM! It's been 2 hours!
BACK ON TRACK NOW!
As I think about the girls in my Youth Group, Sunday School Class, Family, School District... I see girls that are drifting away from the Love, Relationship, & Amazing Future that Jesus Christ has to offer them.
I see girls that are being distracted by STUFF & PEOPLE.
Stuff that can be a distraction:
Clothes
Shoes
iPhone
iPad
Facebook
Twitter
Snapchat
Instagram
Texting
Skype
Sports
Clubs
Cars
Relationships
How much time do you spend on the above things?
If you were to write down what you spend your time on each day, what would it look like? How much of your day is spent praying? Reading your Bible? Doing a devotion? What about straightening your hair? Texting? Tweeting? Stalking people on Facebook (it's not a secret LOL!)? Sports Practice? Studying? Watching TV? Playing Games?
"But Megan, not all of those things are bad! I've got to do my homework & I'm committed to my team!"
I know & I absolutely agree. Here is what I'm getting at.
Priorities (Big, scary word I know!)
What is #1 in your life? What do you spend the most time, effort, & thought on every day?
Was it your relationship with Jesus Christ? Remember what Hebrews 2:1 said, "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away."
Are you paying careful attention to your relationship with Jesus Christ or are you drifting away?
Now you may say, "Well I don't spend ALL my time thinking about God, but that doesn't mean I'm drifting away." You may not even realize you're drifting away until you are already out in the middle of the ocean.
Are the THINGS in your life taking up more time and more importance than your relationship with your Savior?
Jesus Christ knows you the best, loves you the most, & has the best for you if you would focus on him and follow. We must be careful to remember that & stay focused on His Word and what He wants us to do.
Ok, one last Bible Verse for you before I go
Proverbs 4:20-27
"My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips; Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and tak only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil." (NIV)
The real question is:
I asked her (as I do every morning) to brush her teeth, brush her hair, & get dressed for school.
This is not new or different. She knows that she is supposed to do this every day and honestly it's kind of silly that I still tell her to do it. She's in 1st grade, she's not a baby, but I still do it.
So I headed back to my bathroom. I finished my makeup, straightened my hair, and finished getting dressed. Now, normally by this time Jenna has already finished getting ready, bopped into our bathroom, hugged her daddy, & sat down so I can straighten her crazy frizz we call hair.
Not this morning. This morning I was completely ready and she had not come in yet to have her mane tamed. Hmmm...
I walked to the other side of the house and looked into her bathroom. Empty. No one there. That's when I heard the talking coming from her room. Hmmm....
I peeked my head into her room and sure enough there she was, still in her PJs, hair still a crazy frizz mess, playing with BARBIES!
She jumped when she heard me! She had been caught! She popped to her feet and ran into the bathroom with no explanation or words.
SHE HAD BEEN DISTRACTED
Have you ever been distracted?
If you're honest with yourself... Yes, you have been distracted at some point.
At school when you were supposed to be listening to the teacher and something caught your eye. (something outside the window, the clock, dots on the ceiling, the cute boy that sits in front of you...)
At home when you were supposed to be doing your homework or cleaning your room but you REALLY wanted to be watching tv/ playing computer/ texting/ chatting/ skyping/ reading...
Or maybe at church. *GASP!* THAT'S RIGHT I SAID IT! Church!
Today I want to talk a little about those distractions that take our attention off of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 2:1 says, "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." (NIV)
What is a distraction?
The dictionary says it is "something that makes it difficult to think or pay attention".
So... in Hebrews it warns us to pay more careful attention, and a distraction is something that makes it difficult to pay attention. Our warning is... "Don't Get Distracted!"
*Megan Story!*
I will admit/confess that I have horrible ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) I was diagnosed over 15 years ago when I was 12 years old.
I still deal with it as an adult! It's Crazy! No kidding, I can get distracted with a Q-tip!
"I know I need to be picking up clothes & doing laundry but... oh my ear is bothering me I should clean it out... now that I've cleaned out my ear & I have the Q-tips out I should clean between the buttons of my keyboard... oh now that I'm AT the computer I should google that thing I've been wanting to look up... BOOM! It's been 2 hours!
BACK ON TRACK NOW!
As I think about the girls in my Youth Group, Sunday School Class, Family, School District... I see girls that are drifting away from the Love, Relationship, & Amazing Future that Jesus Christ has to offer them.
I see girls that are being distracted by STUFF & PEOPLE.
Stuff that can be a distraction:
Clothes
Shoes
iPhone
iPad
Snapchat
Texting
Skype
Sports
Clubs
Cars
Relationships
How much time do you spend on the above things?
If you were to write down what you spend your time on each day, what would it look like? How much of your day is spent praying? Reading your Bible? Doing a devotion? What about straightening your hair? Texting? Tweeting? Stalking people on Facebook (it's not a secret LOL!)? Sports Practice? Studying? Watching TV? Playing Games?
"But Megan, not all of those things are bad! I've got to do my homework & I'm committed to my team!"
I know & I absolutely agree. Here is what I'm getting at.
Priorities (Big, scary word I know!)
What is #1 in your life? What do you spend the most time, effort, & thought on every day?
Was it your relationship with Jesus Christ? Remember what Hebrews 2:1 said, "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away."
Are you paying careful attention to your relationship with Jesus Christ or are you drifting away?
Now you may say, "Well I don't spend ALL my time thinking about God, but that doesn't mean I'm drifting away." You may not even realize you're drifting away until you are already out in the middle of the ocean.
Are the THINGS in your life taking up more time and more importance than your relationship with your Savior?
Jesus Christ knows you the best, loves you the most, & has the best for you if you would focus on him and follow. We must be careful to remember that & stay focused on His Word and what He wants us to do.
Ok, one last Bible Verse for you before I go
Proverbs 4:20-27
"My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips; Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and tak only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil." (NIV)
The real question is: