Theology of Distraction

Someone recently sent me a quote by Henri Nouwen from an Advent devotional that said this: "I have always been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted until I slowly discovered that my interruptions were my work."  This quote doesn't necessarily originate with Nouwen, but a professor of his from Notre Dame.  However, it's an important quote that can help us to live and notice God working in everyday life.

I think that the meaning behind this quote for the professor was something to the effect of this: "I thought my work was research and preparing to teach, but I am interrupted by family, students, and others, and I discovered my true work (living for God) was all about these interruptions, and not necessarily with what I thought my work was."  This is a profound point in our busy schedules between work, family, chores, and daily necessities.  The interruptions we think distract us from what is important may actually be the most important work for God that we do that day.

I am not saying we should be unfocused while we are at work, or when we need to get something done.  I am of the opinion that focus is necessary when trying to work.  However, we also must be fully focused when people enter our lives...whether family, students, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, or strangers in the grocery store.  They may be the people we need to share God's love with in that moment...love that we can't share when we are working, staring at a computer or TV, or speed walking through the local store. 

So let's be aware of those "distractions" which interrupt our work, for they may be the work God has for us after all. 

"Lord, help me to be attentive to your will, your words, and those you send to interrupt life."

Godly Insights in Everyday Life #1: On Determination

One of the many hobbies that I enjoy doing is watching anime, which is the term used for Japanese cartoons.  My all time favorite anime is called Kenichi, History's Strongest Disciple.  This show is about a high school boy (named Kenichi) who dreams of being a martial artist and being able to protect his friends and family.  Unfortunately he has absolutely no talent for being a martial artist...but he does have a kind heart and a whole lot of determination. Eventually the boy ends up being trained by five of the greatest martial artists in the world...all at one time.  Since these masters never fail, they never give up on this boy and put him through incredibly hard training in order to build his skill.

During one of the most difficult periods of his training, Kenichi is encouraged by seeing one of his master's work very hard at learning to play a certain board game - the master had practiced so much that the pieces literally wore thin from his fingers pressing against them.  Kenichi then makes the statement, "Well then I will simply train until the floor gives in from my training!"

Hard periods of our lives come to us too as we struggle and train to live for God and become more and more like Jesus.  In the middle of these hard times, when we feel like we can least keep up with devotions, or prayer, or fasting, or whatever the Lord is having us do, may we say, "Lord may I train until the binding of my Bible breaks, may I train until holes are worn into my pants from kneeling in prayer!"  When the path gets rough, when times get tough, its then that we must press towards the goal, giving it our all for Christ until "the floor gives in from my training!"

"Lord, help me to know you more each day, in every way, and may I never give up on my journey towards You!"  

The "I-Don't-Feel-Like-It" Syndrome

For the past two weeks I have stopped working out.  Of course, the rest period started off innocently enough.  My voice began to get scratchy, my body was weary and tired, so I said to myself, "P90-X (home work out videos) is simply too much at the moment and will weaken my immune system because of the intensity.  I should stop for this week to simply rest and allow my body to recover."  It was a well-meaning rest, and most certainly needed.

Yet, this rest turned into a two week rest.  The second week of rest was haunted by the phrase, "I'm simply too tired this week, I'll start again next week,"  "I don't feel like it today," and "Skipping just this once won't hurt."  I am now in week three of my "rest," struggling to get in three workouts when six workouts was the norm, battling the desperate desire to remain at rest.

Walking with God and living for Christ is the field of that same battle, that same desperate desire to remain at rest, to take the easy road.  "I don't feel like it today, so I will skip prayer." "I don't feel like guarding my eyes today, so it's OK if I take a second look at that beautiful individual." "I don't feel like it today, so I will skip my devotional, or my fast." "I don't feel like it today, so it's fine if I ignore my family so I can get some rest." 

Taking breaks and resting the soul is a needed practice in our culture, but stopping important habits because we " don't feel like it" can lead us into complacency, sin, and laziness.  It can deter us from walking with God, place a spiritual roadblock in our lives preventing us from moving forward, and it can even place plugs in our ears to prevent us from hearing the Word of God. 

Instead of taking that break when we "don't feel like it," let us continue to run the race set before us...and instead pray for rest, for a true Sabbath, rejuvenation, and revitalization from God.  Jesus' "burden is easy, and his yoke is light." The Lord will grant us real rest and rejuvenation when the time is right, which will motivate and prepare us further for our walk with God.  Taking rest on our own, seizing the right to declare when we will take a break from our Master, giving in to the "I don't feel like it today," will only feed our need for more rest, feed our presumptiveness, and will leave us un-rejuvenated and un-filled.

"Lord, help me to fight to obey when I don't feel like it, and come quickly to my rescue with real rest when I am under siege from everyday life."