Distractions!

By Eric Hutchinson, Fellowship Bible Church, Rogers, Celebrate Recovery ministry TEAM Training coach, 8/5/20

You have probably seen or heard of the Pixar movie UP.  This is an animated movie that has some memorable characters in it. One of the characters is a Golden Retriever named Dug. Dug is able to talk through a device on his collar. (It’s a cartoon, ok!) Anyway, Dug talks very fast and is often distracted. He will be talking and then all of a sudden he will say, “Squirrel!” He then looks off in the distance for a few seconds before coming back to the conversation. It’s a really funny instance that happens a couple of times in the movie. I remember riding in a car with a girl from High School when our youth minister’s wife drove up next to us not realizing she had done so. I told Ginger, who was driving, that our youth minister’s wife was driving next to us. Ginger looked over and started waving insistently trying to get the other driver’s attention. I looked ahead and saw that the stoplight was red and cars were stopped in front of us. I said, “Ginger, slow down. Ginger, slow down. GINGER STOP!!!”  We rear-ended the car in front of us, and Ginger’s front hood folded up like an accordion. Fortunately no one was hurt. However, it was a lesson to Ginger, and to me, to watch the road ahead while driving and to NOT get distracted. 

Sometimes life can be distracting. I have been distracted a LOT lately, as so many world events are happening around me. It’s easy to take my eyes off Jesus and get distracted. As I get distracted, the enemy comes in with all kinds of negative emotion, and if I’m not careful, I could crash!

Peter did this while walking on water. In Matthew 14:22-33 Peter is in a boat and sees Jesus at a distance. He steps out of the boat to go to Jesus, but then he panics, doubts, and begins to sink. He got distracted and took his eyes off Jesus.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says that life is like a race and we should throw off the distractions of this world by fixing our eyes on Jesus. Life is crazy right now, and it’s been really tempting for me to look at negative events and circumstances. I have to make a conscious effort to keep my eyes on Jesus and press into him to keep my serenity and my sobriety. 

I hope this email finds you in a good place, with your eyes keenly focused on our savior. However, if you have been distracted, turn your eyes upon Jesus, and let him guide you and carry you through each day. I love you my friend, and I am looking forward to when we can all meet again in person. Have a blessed day! 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2


“Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.” Proverbs 4:25


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