It is 3:30 a.m., and it seems that sleep has managed to escape me, so I am not counting sheep; I am lying in bed humming tunes to a musical. The thought of this would not have struck me as odd, but it was the following thoughts that caused reflection. It is that time of year when the stores start to decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving. Black Friday for shoppers is approaching and the prospect of revenue gets retailers worked into an excited frenzy. It is also the time to unveil what many directors and producers hope is the next box office hit that will bring a coveted award known as the Oscars.
This year the second part of the popular movie Wicked is showing to sellout crowds. The popularity of the movie delights all ages. It is interesting to watch as people are living through the characters of Elphaba and Glinda. Movie-goers are consumed with the characters, their relationship, and the music. It is not uncommon to hear people singing or humming “Defying Gravity,” “Popular,” or “For Good.” That is how much of an impact this movie has on its viewers.
This brings me back to my bout of insomnia. In the midst of my humming, the thought struck me. If the music from a movie can invade my thoughts, consume my sleep, and distract me enough to hum in the wee hours of the morning, how great would it be if I was humming the sounds of worship?
It dawned on me that distractions are not confined to big incidents or situations. It is not assigned to people keeping you from a task. Distractions come in ways that we don’t think about, nor do we recognize them. How easy it is for movies and music to take over our time of worship, quiet time, or even our sleep? I am reminded of Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
When we are distracted, we lose focus on the important things, and we allow distractions to lead us astray. This is not a new concept because we know of certain bible stories where distraction led to destruction. Remember Samson’s obsession with Delilah’s beauty which led him to ignore and disobey God. His destruction was being captured and losing his strength. David was distracted by Bathsheba’s beauty, and this led him into committing adultery. His destruction was his mindset to cover his sin by murdering Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah. This action cost him his child’s life. Wise Solomon forgot his purpose because he was too consumed with his indulgence for riches, women, and idols. His destruction was spiritual emptiness and the division of a kingdom. Martha was distracted with household duties while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. Although there was no destruction, Martha missed an opportunity.
Understand, we will go to movies, plays, and concerts. However, we must be on guard not to allow these activities to become an obsession. Prioritizing putting God first should help us not succumb to these distractions. If you stop to think about it, what is distracting you from spending quality time with God? How are you going to change the trajectory of destruction?
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Coffee Reflections 