Distractions

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. Psalm 27: 8

Do you feel distracted often? I do. 

I find it so easily to get distracted, it's not even funny anymore.  Social Media alone is responsible for a great deal of it (at least in my case).  We are so bombarded with stimuli that it becomes harder and harder to lift one's head up from the phone.  And even though it affects younger people at a higher scale, it is not just kids...I'm guilty of it myself.  I can spend so much time scrolling through media that when I finally put the phone down, a good part of the day is gone without me having done anything productive.  Quiet time with the Lord? I'm ashamed to say, I have to be very intentional about it, and almost schedule it in my calendar...otherwise, weeks would go by without me setting aside time in prayer.

Verse 8 in Psalm 27 says how the calling to seek His face is one that comes from the heart...and as such...our response is simple: yes..."Your face, Lord, I will seek."  But, do I?  Do I make it a priority to seek His face?

I've lived in this world for over 50 years...how many of those have I used to seek His face?  How much of a priority has seeking Him been in my life?

I don't even want to go there.

However, it is time I do.  It is time I open my eyes to the reality that it is imperative that I set aside the lesser things, and seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness...Matthew 6: 33a

How do I do that?  Well...

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29: 13

"With all my heart..."  that's the key.  When my heart finally learns how to completely surrender to Jesus, then, I will empty it out of all the distractions and fill it up with the urgent desire to seek Him first.  It is hard to do that with the world pulling us from every side...reeling us in...but it is possible through discipline and intentionality.  It is a conscious decision.  It is a decision born out of the necessity to do the only thing that will bring us fulfillment: to follow Him...to know Him...to feel His presence...to dive in His peace...to experience His love.  

Nothing this world has to offer will bring our hearts and souls the satisfaction and contentment that seeking Him first offers...so why not?  There's still time to turn things around and change our priorities, being more present and less distracted.  Maybe it can be something as simple as following Christian influencers who post Biblical messages which may switch us from mindless scrolling, to purposeful guidance into paths that lead to a Christ-centered experience in social media?  Maybe? I don't know...but let's fill our feeds with the Word of God and see what happens?  It's worth the shot...I mean, we know social media is not going to go away.  We know we are going to continue to use it (at least I will).  We may as well use it for good, don't you think?

May the Holy Spirit show us the way to Christ through all the distractions.  May we hear the voice of the Shepherd in a society so full of noise.  May His hand reach us and pull us to where we can finally see His face.  In the Precious Name of Jesus, whom I want to seek first.  Amen!