Laser-Like Focus...

I get distracted easily sometimes.  Not to make fun of people who actually struggle with "ADD," I have self-diagnosed myself with the disorder.  I get distracted.  If you think about all the things that are going on in life, its easy to get distracted.  The pressures of leading a church, being a loving and godly husband, parenting three small children (boys at that), and speaking regularly all demand lots of time and if I'm not careful, I can get distracted easily.  To be honest, I probably get distracted more than I don't.

In Hebrews 2:1, the writer of Hebrews gives us some advice about distractions.  Read these words aloud:

"We must therefore pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away."

What is the writer of Hebrews referring to here?  The writer is referring to the words of Jesus Christ.  The context of this verse (it's always important to read Scripture in its context) is based on what the writer of Hebrews laid out in Hebrews 1.  God, in these last days, as spoken through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Christ is divinely qualified to speak and His speaking requires that ALL listen.  Christ is superior to the angels, which is another qualification that proves that Jesus is more than qualified (to read the previous spot on this topic, click here).   Therefore, the writer states, "we must...pay even more attention to what we have heard."

The writer of Hebrews is telling us, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that there is no room for distractions when it comes to what Christ has spoken.  There is no room for us to deviate to the right or to the left.  There is no room for personal interpretation or reading into the text what is not seen in the text.  It means that we must pay attention.  We must have laser-like focus.  Why must we do this?  We must do this so that we don't drift away.  We must do this so that our relationship with Christ stays where it must stay.  We must do this so that we don't get distracted by all the things that this life, both good and bad, throws at us.  We must do this so that when we are tempted with distraction there is no debate about what to do.  Christ says "stay focused," therefore, we are going to stay focused with a laser-like focus.

Hebrews 2:2-3 provide for us some logic behind this rationale.  Remembering what the writer said in Hebrews 1:1 that "long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different way," he says this in verses 2 and 3 of chapter 2:

"For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding, and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?  It was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who head Him."

We are not going to be able to escape the punishment required if we become distracted away from the message of Jesus Christ.  If the people were punished long ago when they were "distracted," what makes us think that we will not be punished for being "distracted" when we have an even greater message?  Here is the question that I will leave you with today:  "What is distracting you in your relationship with Christ?  What is pulling you away from your relationship with the Master?  Space doesn't allow me to list all the possible things that could distract us (if that is even possible).  Here is the deal.  You and I must keep a laser-like focus in our relationships with Christ.  Otherwise, we will drift away.