Pursuing Distractions

“It wasn't so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder...” (Titus 3:3 MSG)

I have a closet under the stairs in my basement. There are no windows,  light bulbs, or even electric outlets in that space, so it is difficult to see anything. Over the years, I have used it as a catch-all space for things I don’t want to deal with--stuff that I don’t use regularly, but I am not ready to part with either. I have thought about taking time to clean up this space, but I always find ten other things I would rather be doing. There are places to go, people to meet, and passions to pursue. To be honest, I am avoiding this space. I bet there are spiders in there--not to mention, old stuff that will bring back uncomfortable memories. I don’t want to sort through this mess, so I distract myself with other activities. One of my cousins turned the space under her stairs into a prayer chamber. She cleaned out all the old junk. She brought in a lamp for light and a fan to improve air flow. She and her family use it regularly as a quiet place for prayer and contemplation.

The world is full of diversions. We can spend our entire lives chasing distractions and avoid facing our inner selves. We can continue being ‘stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder’--or we can deal with the scary mess in the dark chambers of our mind. Cleaning out the deep recesses of our psyche takes intentional focus, self-discipline, time, patience, and detachment from a world that values diversion. Once purified, we cannot go back to the old ways of doing things; otherwise, it is just a matter of time before our inner selves get filled with different junk. Just as there are plenty of people who can show us how to constantly seek amusement and approval, there are also role models who exemplify godly lives. Let us use the latter as inspiration, bringing in light and truth, sorting through the mess, clearing anything that is useless and impure, and dedicating our lives to honoring God.

“We're being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now.”  (Titus 2:11-12 MSG)