As I read my daily devotion and its accompanying Scripture, unrelated thoughts crept in. Why is my laptop not holding its charge? I shook myself and turned my attention to the devotion’s reflection and prayer section. I gotta go grocery shopping. I need to inventory the pantry. STOP! FOCUS! I hurriedly reread the Scripture asking the Holy Spirit for deeper insight. I hear the garbage trucks coming. Boy, do they make a lot of noise early in the morning. UGH! I changed my tactics and prayed, asking for better focus. Will today be a good day to grill outside? I hope it’s not too windy. OH MY GOODNESS! Why can’t I keep my mind stayed on Jesus? Why are my thoughts wandering to mundane things? I feel a bit like Martha, distracted by the need to be busy. (Luke 10:39-42)
When I found my mind meandering during my morning devotions, I looked through my journal and found that I had journaled about losing focus a few times. The old gospel hymn, “Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind Stayed on Jesus),” immediately sprang to mind. Why can’t my mind be stayed on Jesus at least during my devotional period? Doesn’t He deserve at least that? I started to berate myself, frustrated that I couldn’t keep my focus. This led to feeling guilty that I should be better at this relationship building since God is waiting for me. I should be able to devote a few minutes to working on my relationship with God. Am I a bad Christian?
One thing I have learned is that these emotions are counterproductive in building that relationship. In fact, they could create a wall between me and God, exactly what Satan wants. Frustration and annoyance with myself lead to a sense of unworthiness. As the guilt grows, I am less likely to approach God. But He is waiting. As that negative feeling builds, I am less inclined to believe that God is waiting for me. But He is!
As a fallible human, I will have those unfocused moments. There will be times when my thoughts will drift to worldly things. As Christ told Martha, being worried about many things is fruitless. When I find myself distracted, I have turned to some strategies that help me refocus my attention back to relationship building. Perhaps these will help you too:
- At the start of the devotion, pray that God will quiet your mind. Ask the Holy Spirit to take control of your wayward thoughts.
- Read Colossians 3:1-2 at the start of your devotions. Here Paul admonishes us to set our hearts and minds on God, not on earthly things.
- Take time to jot down the laundry list of chores that infiltrate your meditation. Writing down that list will empty it from your mind, giving you room to focus on God.
- Change how you interact with God. If you’re losing focus while journaling, then switch to reading Scripture. Or read a different devotion. Or pray. Or concentrate on how you can apply what you’ve learned. In other words, change your meditation tactics.
- Journal your wayward thoughts. This is more than the previous suggestion of just jotting down the list. Explore why at this moment you are having difficulty focusing on the relationship with God. Then take that issue to God.
- Write a prayer. Your written prayer is a letter to God. Offer praises. Lament sorrows. Exclaim blessings. Shout thanksgiving. Write it out.
- Be still. This seems counterintuitive since the very reason you’re in this predicament is that your mind isn’t still. Be still means stop berating yourself for the lack of focus and just let God in. Be still means take a breath and allow God to flow in you. Read Psalm 37:7-Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him (NIV).
Reflection: Does this ever happen to you? If it does, how do you feel? What strategies have you used to keep your mind stayed on Jesus?
originally posted May 28, 2020
