How soon are you going to get distracted before completing this blog? Well, I guess it depends on how interesting my feature is. The main distractions I am talking about are what takes one from the Word of God. Jesus used a farmer with seeds, rocky places, thorns and good soil to show how distractions can be used to keep the Word of God away from your life. The Parable of the Sower:
Jesus made it simple and clear in the parable of the sower. Jesus gave three illustrations on how hearing the word of God can be taken away by distractions, and afterwards he offered one solution from the distractions. Follow the parable in the Bible according to the Gospel of Saint Matthew 13:1-8.
He said first, the Word is simply snatched from our hearts. Yes, snatched from your heart! It's like believing you love the LORD with all of your heart, but how quickly do you allow politics, sports, and other passions to show what really lies in your heart?
The second illustration that Jesus shared concerned distress or persecution because of the Word. It seems like some believers find it easier to "go along"and "get along" rather than to stand apart (abortion rights, racism, false truths/lying).
The third illustration Jesus used to show how distractions can keep us from doing true kingdom work due to worries around us and the deceitfulness of wealth. Think about this for a moment: Would you rather start over, trusting to do things according to God's Word or continue using plans and systems contrary to the Bible?
What were the lyrics of that popular song back in the 80's? "Don't worry, be happy". Or is it the Word of God that has been around for thousands of years telling you, "Don't worry about anything" (Philippians 4:6) when it comes to dealing with distractions?
Finally, Jesus gave an illustration of what one looks like who can successfully manage distractions. The "good ground" represents the person who, in spite of it all, will not compromise truth, but bears all things with God's love! If you made it to this point in this blog, you are ready to be used by the Lord to attract others to the beauty of his word! Now, go and make disciples!