Before the Crash – Devotion about Distraction

It's never a dream to write a personal story into a devotion about distraction. But, God can use all things for His good, right?

A few weeks ago, I got into an embarrassing car accident. I say embarrassing because it was totally my fault and no other cars were driving on the street other than the one I hit. I wasn't on my phone nor was the radio playing too loudly. I simply got turned around and in a quick effort to backtrack, I turned in front of a car I didn't see or hear coming. In my defense, it was a Tesla, and my those cars are really quiet. (I did feel really bad.)

I got into the accident because I was distracted. My mind was so focused on finding my destination, I lost sight of my surroundings. My senses were down and my safety got compromised. Fortunately, neither one of us got hurt and our cars faced minor damages. We both drove away.

The accident rid me of my pride (it's especially humbling when your dad is your insurance agent), and it opened my eyes to how easily distracted I get in all areas of life. Song of Solomon refers to distractions as "little foxes." Like critters, distractions like to slip in and uproot our lives.

Some distractions are obvious, like texting and driving. In everyday life, common distractions can look like social media, phone notifications, people walking into the home office every five minutes, unexpected visitors and more. But sometimes, distractions are stealthier—like sly foxes indeed.

Our thoughts wander to negative places. Our suppressed emotions lead to actions we aren't proud of, or statements we wish we could take back. Life can come crashing down not because of anything we intentionally did, but because we were unaware of something getting us off course. This applies to cars. Relationships. Jobs. Even faith.

Although distractions are common, they can be stopped. The little foxes can be caught. When we intentionally refocus our minds and our hearts toward God and things on His heart, we'll avoid the  crash. 

Prayer: God, will you help me fight off my distractions today? Make me aware of what gets me off course, and give me both the resources and strength to stay focused on you and avoid any crashes and collisions. In Jesus' name. Amen.

This devotional first appeared in the Monday Morning Survival Guide. Subscribe to get next Monday's devotional emailed to you.