How Life’s Distractions Take Us On The Wrong Path

Is it just me, or has it become easier to get distracted? Social media and cell phones have replaced the distractions that I used to have when traveling. Before, it was the kids arguing or me trying to follow directions I printed on my computer. No matter what is garnering your attention, I’ve found out that life’s distractions can take us down the wrong path.

A couple of years ago, Joe (my husband) went with some of his friends to play golf. They went to North Myrtle Beach and stayed several days there, enjoying the beautiful weather. When it was time to come home, Joe decided that he would stay there and that I should drive there to meet him for a short vacation. I was more than eager to have a getaway, so I packed my bags and headed out on the seven-hour journey.

I’ve been to the beach before, but it seems like every time that we go, we end up taking a different route. Since I had never driven by myself to the beach from our house, I plugged in the directions on my phone so that it could guide me to my destination. The app told me that I would arrive in North Myrtle Beach at 5:30 pm.

The internet, cell phones, and social media have conditioned us to crave constant interaction. Back before cell phones, I’m sure that listening to the radio would have kept me entertained, but now I need to be connected to someone or feel like I am working. So, I will usually listen to a self-help book or a training call, call my mom, sister, or daughter, or dial up a friend.

After driving for about 1 1/2 hours, I decided to call one of my friends whom I hadn’t talked to in a long time. I wanted to check in with her to see how she was doing. Because I was talking, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was driving. I wasn’t concerned with the directions since I had the app on my phone to tell me when I needed to turn.

So, we laughed and talked for a long time until Joe called to see where I was on the journey. I told him the name of the town that I had just passed through, and he said that he couldn’t remember going through that area before. Hmmm, I wonder why that would be???

I hopped off the phone with him and looked at the app, which said the same thing that it had said before. Wait, shouldn’t my mileage have gotten shorter? I had been driving for at least thirty minutes since the last time that I looked at the app. I pulled off at the next exit and turned off the app. Then I uploaded the app again and put in the directions again. UGH!!! While I was talking on the phone, I had missed a turn and had driven at least thirty minutes out of my way.

I got distracted. A simple phone call distracted me long enough that I was moving away from my intended destination. If I had kept on the same path, I would have only gotten farther and farther away from where I wanted to go.

How many of us are like that when it comes to our faith? We know where we want to go and where we want our final destination to be. But do we let life’s distractions take us on the wrong path?

Psalms 119:33-37

³³ Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
    that I may follow it to the end.
³⁴ Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
    and obey it with all my heart.
³⁵ Direct me in the path of your commands,
    for there I find delight.
³⁶ Turn my heart toward your statutes
    and not toward selfish gain.
³⁷ Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
    preserve my life according to your word.

I don’t think that we are the only ones who have struggled with distractions. King David knew a thing or two about how life’s distractions could take you on the wrong path. David got distracted when he saw Bathsheba bathing on a rooftop, which sent him down the wrong path. It led him to trouble, heartache, and away from the Lord.

Even though I had the app to guide me, I let the distraction keep me from following the directions. You can have the Bible on your nightstand or coffee table, but if you let something distract you from its directions, then you can easily veer off the path.

The great thing is that you can “choose” to find a new path so that you can still arrive at your destination. Once I rebooted my app, it gave me new directions to the beach, even if I arrived an hour behind schedule.

You can change always directions. You can choose to turn from the distraction, pick back up THE WORD, and get back on a path. The path will be different, but it can still lead you to your intended destination.

1 Peter 2:25

²⁵ For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

It is never too late to change the course. The Lord will welcome you back with open arms and point you in a new direction. We just have to be aware of the direction we are headed, and ask for a new path.

To GOD Goes The Glory!

Have A Blessed Day!