Come back to the Lord your God, because he is kind and shows mercy. He doesn’t become angry quickly, and he has great love.
Joel 2:13 (NCV)
Our world has a distraction problem, and distraction is one of the enemy’s favorite tools. If he can keep us distracted, scattered, and rushed, he can keep us from connecting with God. And if he can keep us from connecting with God, he can keep our hearts, our minds, and our lives from the transformation God desires. When we are focusing on all the wrong things, it’s hard to hear Jesus. We need Him to break through the noise and distraction and rush, and speak into the deepest parts of our souls. And we need to stop and get quiet and listen; that’s when connection happens and our relationship with Him transforms.
Lent is the six week period leading up to Easter and is observed by many Christians around the world. This year it began yesterday, March 6th. The season of Lent invites us to prepare. It is a time of spiritual preparation during which we anticipate the victory of the light and life of Christ over the darkness of sin and death. One common way to observe Lent is to give up a certain food or beverage, but it doesn’t have to be about food. This season is about focusing our hearts on Jesus and His sacrifice by sacrificing whatever distractions have a hold on our hearts. It’s about decreasing the distractions so we can increase our connection with God. It’s about giving something up in order to make room for something infinitely better. When we decrease the unnecessary, we clear space for the essential!
Nothing in this world will ever fill you like Jesus will. All the distractions in your life will only isolate, not satisfy. What are your big distractions? They may be things you enjoy regularly, like sugar, caffeine, chocolate, or meat. But it could be that your phone, social media, or Netflix are hijacking your heart. Maybe you are ready to give up sinful habits like lying, comparing, lusting, or cursing. Perhaps you need to give up listening to music in your car, so you can pray and listen while you drive. Ask Jesus to reveal what is keeping you from pulling up close to Him. As you sacrifice your distractions, you will be able to more deeply reflect on the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made for you. This season of Lent, leave your big distractions behind, hand Jesus your heart and in about six weeks, it will look a lot more like His. You are loved!