The Relentless "Tap, Tap, Tap..."
It stormed last Sunday. The bottom fell out of the sky and buckets and buckets of rain dropped onto the thirsty Earth. It stormed like it only can in Southeast Texas, to the point where you wondered if it would ever cease. Even inside our cozy building, the influence of the storm could be sensed. Due to a small leak in the roof, everyone in the auditorium could hear the relentless “tap-tap-tap...” of rainwater dripping on ceiling tiles above us. That concerned me. Not because I feared some terrible harm would come to the building or that a soggy ceiling tile would crash down upon Bruce Turner while he preached. No, I feared this dripping may become a distraction. I feared that the relentless “tap-tap-tap...” would skew our focus and hinder our worship.
But then, something happened. Stanley Zavala approached the stage, this congregation lifted our voices in praise to God and together we drowned out the relentless “tap-tap-tap...”. Then Mike Tyer led us as we bowed our heads, humbled our spirits and prayed. The constant dripping faded out as our focus was taken to our Father's throne in heaven. Bruce Turner opened the Bible, Taylor Henson prepared our minds to give of our means, and Jeff Bockmiller alongside Chris Wilson prepared our minds to partake in the Lord's Supper. All the while the drops fell, but as we focused on Jesus, they fell mute. We were not distracted.
As I considered this on Sunday afternoon, I realized that is how life works, too. Christians should live with eternity always on our minds. We should live like Abraham, who wasn't looking for a great earthly city, but “was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). Who confessed that he was a “stranger” and “exile” on this Earth and desired “a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:13,16). We should live like Moses who chose to “endure ill treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25). Brethren, we should live a life concerned with spiritual things. We want minds set “on things above” (Colossians 3:2).
Yet, we live in a world where distractions abound, and they threaten to pull our thinking away from what truly matters. Just as a small leak can skew focus and hinder our worship, the distractions of this world can pull our minds away from what matters. We've all felt the relentless “tap-tap-tap...” of some distraction in our life begging us to pay too much attention to something which carries little significance.
We've felt the distractions of work and the distractions of finance. The distraction of buying a new house or a new car. The distractions that come from raising kids. The distractions that come from having kids. We've felt the “tap-tap-tap...” of lustful pleasures. The Devil loves when we focus on the distraction rather than the goal! We exist in a fast paced society where distractions abound and we may easily become guilty of caring too much about the insignificant matters in life rather than the significance of eternal life. While I'm trying my best to keep eternity on my mind like Abraham, Moses, like Enoch, the Devil relentlessly taps on my shoulder and tells me to focus on something else. You've felt that, haven't you? Have you let the cares of life keep you from thinking about eternity? Are you so impressed with the things of this world that Jesus has taken a backseat?
What's the answer to the relentless “tap-tap-tap...”? I'm reminded of the words of the writer of Hebrews,
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus...” Hebrews 12:1-2.
He tells the Christian to lay aside any encumbrance. That means anything and everything that keeps you from giving God your all. Do away with all distractions, and fix your eyes on Jesus. That's what happened a week ago. We fixed our eyes on Jesus and the distractions of this world faded into the background. And that's the charge given in Hebrews 12:2. Fix your gaze on the Savior. Fill your life with reading His teaching, reading about what He did. Let your mind always wander to His sacrifice. Constantly offer up prayers of thanksgiving for our Mediator and Friend. We must fix our eyes on Jesus and never allow the relentless “tap-tap-tap...” of life on this Earth pull our focus away.
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