But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30)
I’m a very distracted person. Distractions are powerful, aren’t they? They keep us from the most important things we need to accomplish. Regardless of how easily you are or aren’t distracted, you have likely experienced distractions getting in the way of what you need to do. Often distractions come in the form of urgent things that push out what’s truly important.
My of my favorite New Testament accounts is that of the disciples traveling on a boat in the midst of a serious storm. In the distance, they saw what appeared to be a ghost but was actually Jesus walking across the water. Peter, being the one who constantly leapt before he looked, asked Jesus if he could walk on water too. Can you imagine making such a request? But Peter did, and Jesus invited him out.
After a few steps Peter got distracted. The urgent waves were drawing his attention, and he looked around and saw the wind and the terrible storm. Suddenly the distraction took him off of his focus – he took his eyes off of Jesus. Immediately he began to sink. Crying out in desperation, Jesus rescued him. If Peter hadn’t looked away, however, we can assume that he would have made it. When he allowed the distractions to, well, distract him, he began to falter.
There’s a lesson here for us, too. When we lose our focus on Jesus we begin to falter in our steps, and we begin to sink just as Peter did. In desperation we cry out to Jesus, and He faithfully comes to our rescue. How much better would it be, though, if we just kept our eyes on Him? If we never remove Jesus from our sight, we will not sink.
What are the things that keep you distracted from doing what God wants you to do? What causes you to miss out on His desires for your life? Don’t let the distractions get in the way; keep your focus on Jesus.
Lord, there are a lot of things that vie for my attention. If I’m not careful, I can lose sight of You by allowing the other things to keep me distracted. Give me the wisdom to know what my distractions are, and then give me courage to take whatever steps are necessary to rid myself of them.
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