Have you ever felt distracted during your personal devotion and worship to the Lord? In today’s post I share some helpful ways to identify distractions and how to remove them.
“Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'”
Matthew 4.10 (ESV)
Distractions are defined by Oxford Languages as “a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else.”
THINGS THAT EASILY DISTRACT ME
I must confess, that I am easily and often distracted. At the moment of writing this article, I am distracted by our guineas here on the farm. They have come up to the window where I am typing and are squawking loudly. It is not the squawking that distracts me, it’s how they entertain me. They are cute, yet so ugly and weird-looking. I get distracted by thoughts like…what was God thinking when He created these creatures?
Other ways I am distracted. I have an eye for gadgets. For most of us, it’s our phones. When I am trying to write and need uninterrupted time, it is crucial that I either set my phone to silence and turn it over, or put it in another room. It’s next to me and I see a notification flash up…I’m sorry, I must confess, I must pick it up. It is as if I will miss the latest sports or news reports if I don’t. I know that sounds weird coming from a guy who is about to turn 60 years old.
As an avid cyclist, I have an eye for bicycles. Road, mountain bikes, and others. When I am driving down the road and see someone on a bike, my attention is drawn to the bike, not the rider. I want to know the type, the brand, the specs, the color, etc. I have to work hard to keep my attention and focus on the road ahead of me.
People distract me. I love community. I love having conversations with people. I love being around people. I am a people lover. When I was in full-time ministry, my office door was always open. Even if I was neck deep in studying or working on a piece of music, and someone came to my door, I was always glad to welcome them in. It was a rarity that I would shut my door or put a sign on it that said, “DO NOT DISTURB!” I think again, like the phone…what am I missing?
These are just a few things that distract me. I have this sensory radar that’s super activated and picks up everything around me. That’s why when I need time with the Lord, I have to go into my closet, not out of humility, but out of necessity. I need uninterrupted time of worship with the Lord.
SPIRITUALLY DISTRACTED
I am also distracted by things spiritually. My flesh is always warring inside me. Always wanting. Never satisfied. I have to tell you, it is a constant battle that wages inside me. My flesh is lustful and prideful. I truly understand what Paul is communicating when he writes:
“But I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
ROmans 7.23-25 (ESV)
We are all susceptible to temptation and sin. We all battle with this constantly. So, my attempt in this article is to share ways we can remove distractions that disrupt our devotion to God in personal worship.
THREE AREAS OF DISTRACTIONS WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
I could provide a long list of things that distract our attention from God, but simply all things could be broken down into three main areas. These are areas that every human struggles with, areas that the devil uses against us, and areas that Jesus was victorious over. Let’s take a look by observing the temptation of Jesus.
After His baptism, the gospel of Matthew tells us that “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4.1). Let’s be clear about something here in this verse…temptation is not sin. Just because someone is tempted, does not mean they are sinning or have fallen into sin.
encyclopedia.com defines temptation in the Biblical sense as a situation in which one experiences a challenge to choose between fidelity and infidelity to one’s obligations toward God. I think that is a great description of temptation. In Matthew 4, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness so that the devil may challenge Jesus. You and I are challenged every day with temptation. Each temptation challenges our devotion to God.
Here, in Matthew 4, the devil challenges Jesus in three areas that are common to every one of us. They are:
- Provision. This challenges our trust in God for daily provisions. This activates our lust for want.
- Identity. This challenges our identity and relationship with Christ. This activates our emotions for significance.
- Authority. This challenges the sovereign authority of God in our lives. This activates our pride in the natural heart.
If this is something that would be helpful to you today, you can either, read the article below or watch this video to learn more.
TEMPTATION 1: PROVISION (Matthew 4.3-4)
Jesus had already been in the wilderness fasting for 40 days and nights. Most people today are not conditioned to fast beyond 12 hours, nevertheless, 40 days. Notice that Matthew writes that Jesus was “hungry” (v.2). Remember, Jesus was not only fully God, He was also fully human. He experienced all the human pains and suffering we all do, that is why Jesus can so easily relate to us and we to Him. Therefore, the devil tempted Jesus to cause the stone to become loaves of bread. Jesus could have easily caused the stone to become bread. Even John the Baptist testified earlier in Matthew 3 saying,
“God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.” (Matthew 3.9) ESV
The challenge was not in Jesus’ ability, the challenge was in activating Jesus’ lust of want. Was Jesus hungry? Yes, Matthew confirms that. Did Jesus need to eat? Yes, because later Matthew confirms that the angels came and ministered to Jesus following the completion of the temptations (Matthew 4.11). So, how did Jesus overcome this temptation? By trusting in the Word of God. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8.3. The verse Jesus quoted comes from a time in Israel’s history while traveling through the wilderness God humbled them and let them experience hunger, and then fed them with manna so that they would know that man does not live by bread alone, “but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
While they journeyed their clothing did not wear out and their feet did not swell for 40 years. This is about trusting and keeping God’s commandments and His ability to provide for your needs.
I am reminded of various other passages in the Bible that speak to this theme.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want ( or be in want). He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul…Psalm 23 (ESV)
When we are taught to pray by Jesus we read in Matthew 6.11
“Give us this day our daily bread…”
What about the command about being anxious?
“Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
MATTHEW 6.25 (ESV)
I dare to say that we fail in this challenge of provision because we live as if we do not need God. Most in the Western world have plenty and when we can not afford it, we charge it so we can have more. Most do not acknowledge the Lord by giving Him thanks for the food we have. This is an act of worship and devotion to God by giving thanks to Him. To be grateful for what we have.
Thus, what distracts us from being devoted to God in worship? The lust of want in provisions. Our hunger for more distracts us from our dependency on God. Our self-sufficient lifestyle feeds our lust while distracting our devotion to God.
TEMPTATION 2: IDENTITY (Matthew 4.5-7)
The next challenge the devil tempts Jesus with has to do with His identity as the Son of God. The devil takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and tells Him that if you are truly the Son of God, jump off this building, and let’s see if the angels will keep you from falling to your death.
One of the strategies the devil employs is twisting the Word of God out of context. Here the devil quotes Psalm 91.11-12.
“He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands, they will bear you up lest you strike your foot against a stone.”
First of all, did the devil quote the verse correctly? Yes.
Was it in context? No.
The context of Psalm 91 is this. It celebrates the Lord’s ability to protect His people. It was never meant to be used as in this case to put God to the test. There may be times when God will protect you according to His will, but this verse does not guarantee the health and welfare of anyone who demands it. The devil was challenging Jesus’ identity by getting Him to demand protection anytime He needed it.
Jesus responded to this challenge also with the Word of God by quoting Deuteronomy 6.16, “Again, it is written, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”
Concerning His identity, Jesus did not need to prove who He was and thus did not need to put God’s word to the test by demanding protection from the angels. Jesus remained focused and His devotion to the Father remained undistracted. The Bible tells us to test everything. For instance, we read:
“But test everything; hold fast to what is good” – 1 Thessalonians 5.21
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8.31
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” – 2 Timothy 3.16
Today, we are not without the abundant Word of God. It is on us to test and reproof all things under the examination of the Word of God to make sure it is in the proper context.
Now, going back to the challenge of Jesus’ identity. This is a challenge for us. Jesus knew who He was, the Son of God. Many who call themselves Christians do not know who they are in Christ. Sometimes Christians are distracted by the seeds of doubt that the devil will test them with. He might say, “If you are a Christian, you would or wouldn’t do this.” This can be a great distraction for many believers and if they are not solid in God’s Word and their identity in Christ, they could find themselves shipwrecking their faith. Deconstructing not only the faith they held dear but the truth of God’s Word as well.
Here is what the Bible says about your identity in Christ in Ephesians 1.4-14:
“Even as he (God) chose us in him (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
In love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses…
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will…
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” – Ephesians 1.4-14 (ESV)
Most Christians do not realize their glorious position in Christ. Notice again what 1 Peter 2.9 says about you:
“But you are a chosen race,
A royal priesthood,
A holy nation,
A people for his own possession,
That you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
How glorious is that? We are not only a part of his creation, we are also His chosen and adopted child in the kingdom of heaven, predestined for great things. In Christ, we not only have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins, but we also have an inheritance in Him. We are His. We are His people because out of the goodness of His kind and merciful will, He chose us, even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Ok..I could go on about this forever. I think you get the picture. Even though we were dead in the trespasses of our sins, Christ died for us and redeemed us by purchasing us through His blood. You are a child of God. A new creation. Born not by man, but by God.
Does that change your attention? Does that deepen your devotion to the Lord? Listen, when the world, the devil, or whoever begins to cause you to doubt who you are in Christ, just remember the truths above. Remember you are in Christ a redeemed child of God.
TEMPTATION 3: AUTHORITY (Matthew 4.8-10)
The final challenge the devil presents to Jesus take a direct aim at the supremacy and sovereignty of God’s authority and rule.
Again, the devil takes Jesus to a high place. This time on a very high mountain. From there, the devil shows him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Then, the devil makes this pitch. “All these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4.9)
I call this fool’s gold. Because you are a fool if you submit and take the bait that the devil is dangling in front of you. The devil is attempting to get Jesus to sell His soul in a manner of speaking.
What was Jesus’ response? He simply doesn’t waste His time with the devil here. He just says with authority to the devil, “Be gone, Satan!” Then Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6.13 –
“You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”
Then we are told that the devil left him and angels came to minister to Jesus.
Christians are distracted by all kinds of winds of doctrine. Some preachers and evangelists are pitching the get rich quick message. Teaching a doctrine that says if you have enough faith, God will give you what you desire. This is a false teaching today that is polluting the universal church. The world has a lot of wealth to offer, but it comes with attachments and distractions that disrupt our devotion to God alone. Most of it false, like fools gold.
I am reminded by what Jesus says of this distraction:
“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? – Mark 8.36-37 (ESV)
Now, understand, I am not saying that wealth is sinful. God may want you to be wealthy if He so desires, but only to fulfill His purpose and the greater good. God may also want you to be poor, that too is according to His purpose and will. It is not in being rich or poor that makes you a greater Christian or a lesser Christian in this world. It is in our worship and devotion to Him alone. The only person who matters most to us is God alone. He alone is to be honored and worshiped because He is the one true living God.
The lottery system in our country is a good example of what distracts our attention and devotion to God as Christians. I know of many Christians who buy hundreds of dollars worth of lottery tickets in the hopes that they may purchase a winning ticket and receive the reward of millions of dollars. Do you know that nearly one-third of lottery winners eventually go bankrupt within three to five years (USA Today – 07/19/2023).
Many NFL players face serious financial hardships. After landing tens of million-dollar contracts, it is reported that 16% of retired NFL players go bankrupt. 78% of NFL players face financial hardships after they retire (American Bankruptcy Institute).
I use these as examples to point out that you do not need the world as promised by the devil or anyone else to make you feel like you have significance. As we learned from the previous temptation, you are in Christ. You already have an inheritance. You do not need because the Lord is your shepherd and you shall not be in want of anything. You already have all that you need in this life and life to come with Him in heaven for all eternity.
FOCUSING IN ON OUR DEVOTION TO GOD
Let us recap: This post began to deal with the issue of how to remove distractions from our personal worship and devotion to God. How do we do this?
- Trust God for provisions. Do not allow your lust or want to distract your devotion to God in worship.
- Remember who you are in Christ. Your cry for significance is born out of emotion and a lack of understanding of who you are in Christ. Once you understand your position and relationship in and to Christ, the distraction of significance goes away.
- Submit to the authority and sovereignty of God. Do not allow your pride to be a distraction to your devotion to God. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4.7).
ONE MORE EXAMPLE AND WE ARE DONE
Distractions can be costly. Sometimes, deadly. We have laws concerning texting and driving. In 2023, 3,522 deaths and 362,415 people injuries were due to distracted driving. 410 deaths were caused by the use of cell phones (ValuePenquin Auto Insurance, 09/22/2023). There is no need for this. This can easily be corrected by simply putting down your phone. Turning it off. Put it in your glove box. Simply, do not drive and text. Keep your eyes on the road.
There is a proverb in the Bible that states this:
“Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.”
Proverbs 4.25-27 (ESV)
If you want to know how to keep focused on your devotion to the Lord. Keep your focus on Him and you will not get distracted by anything.
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