Driving on a Florida two-lane road recently, I got behind someone behaving erratically. The car was swerving from one side of the lane to the other. Not maintaining the speed limit, a line of traffic had build up behind this car. Every once in awhile there would be a tap of the brakes for no perceptible reason.
At long last when I got to pass this car, the problem became apparent. The driver was on the phone, working the screen with sliding and tapping of the thumb.
The driver was distracted and not fully present for the main task.
When I got ahead, after I got over my sense of righteousness because my phone was on the seat next to me (comparison does that, right?), I realized, this is exactly how we treat God.
All of us are distracted by the busyness and the noise of the world around us, so God rarely gets our full attention.
Not developing awareness of the presence of God causes us to miss the main what is going on around us.
- With focus elsewhere, we are not attentive to the needs of others.
- With the inability to slow down, we miss opportunities to reflect the love of Jesus to others.
- With a drive to meet our own needs, we have an inability to be thankful.
But worst of all, we miss out on knowing God and being known by Him.
It takes intention to slow down our thoughts and be present before God. It takes discipline to be still and hear His small whisper. It takes desire to want to live in His truth rather than captive to your own lies.
What are the sources of noise and distraction in your life? What keeps you from fully disengaging them?
How do you develop the ability to be fully present with God?
Life Model Works wholeheartedly agrees, developing the awareness of God’s presence and to experience Immanuel (God with us) is the Joyful Journey!
