Distracted

This past week I preached from Matthew 5.31-37 as I continue to preach from Jesus’ great sermon that we refer to as the Sermon on the Mount. These verses are about promises made – in marriage, and in general. The latter verses speak of the oaths that people attach to their promises to make them more believable. The problem, as Jesus states, is that the items Jews used for their oats were not theirs to swear by (heaven, earth, Jerusalem, hair). But the bigger problem is the need to swear by anything because our words are not trustworthy on their own. For followers of Jesus (Jesus’ audience in this sermon), that is unacceptable.

But it isn’t just promises made to others, it is promises made to ourselves that can be broken. I am usually a person who is very focused and driven to accomplish whatever it is my mind is set to do. A part of that comes from an addictive personality that can get overly focused at times. This tendency is part of the reason why I do not engage in activities like smoking or drinking. I do not like the taste of either, but have partook of each many years ago. But just because I do not engage in these “vices” does not mean I do not have my own challenges.

For years one of the challenges was food. I was constantly overeating and my body showed it. The problem is that in most churches, gluttony is not considered the same type of sin as drinking. In fact, many churches (and pastors) will joke about eating too much while condemning someone for getting drunk. My intention is not to engage in this argument here, but to show that I, like many, must stay focused on what is important to me or I can get distracted by lesser items.

Recently, I have faced such distractions. Since my return from Kenya, I have had more time than usual. Ordinarily I would take the time to be productive, but lately I am finding myself engaged in a hobby that has taken too much of my time. The hobby is not bad, but instead of spending thirty minutes or even an hour engaged in the hobby, I find myself spending two-plus hours at a time. For me the hobby (managing a soccer club in a video game) is mostly relaxing while allowing me to engage my mind in a manner apart from my normal duties as a pastor, seminary professor, leading a new ministry, in addition to being a husband and father (to grown children).

Now, in fairness, we do not have cable television for most of the year, so I do not watch sports like some (this was a hard transition for me at first). We do subscribe to a service for each Fall so I can host a group of people to watch football as a ministry opportunity; however, that is only for seventeen weeks each year. So, instead of placing myself in front of a tv to watch sports for several hours each week, I play a video a game. But the problem is that I have much to do to fulfill my promise to achieve my vision which is to become the man God wants me to be. That is an aspiring vision and one I cannot reach on my own on this side of eternity in any case. But it is made more difficult by spending too much time trying to get a second-rate soccer club to a championship in a top-tier league.

So, in light of the message I preached Sunday, regarding Jesus’ message from nearly 2000 years ago, I pledge to re-orient my focus. I will still play the game some – it is a form of re-creation for me. But my priorities must be to reengage myself where I am called to serve – as a husband, father, pastor, teacher, leader, etc. Time is too short to do anything else. I need not pledge an oath on anything to make this happen, but I must be true to who I know I am and more importantly who God has called me to be.