There are many distractions. Many things threatening to pull my attention away from God. Society is kind of evil. It keeps trying to convince me that I need to embrace things that are meaningless, and it even succeeds sometimes. It tells me that I need to keep busy. Fill my schedule. Make money so I can buy more stuff. Shop at the right stores, possess the latest technology, work my way up in the world.
So many distractions. These things are not the stuff of life. They are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. And I fall prey to them all the time, often forgetting that I already have all that I need.
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| Consumerism. http://www.lucmelanson.com/ |
Last January, for example, I decided to use less disposable products. Did I succeed? Impossible to say. I know neither how many disposable products I used in 2009 nor how many more or fewer I used in 2010. But I was aware of my consumption. I felt guilty when I forgot my travel mug or a fork for my lunch or my grocery bags. I think a lifestyle change may have ensued, regardless of whether or not I achieved anything tangible.
So, true to form, this year my goal is to be more aware of God's presence. To be less distracted. Vague, right? Well, that is just how I roll.
This year, on New Year's Day, I happened to begin reading Ezekiel, an Old Testament book that I do not think I have ever read in its entirety. Wow, did this prophet ever see some fantastic visions! In the first chapter, he described four cherubim. Brilliant creatures. Freaking brilliant. Zeke went on to describe how these creatures moved about:
"Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went." (1:12)What an image. What a fantastic depiction of spiritual focus. That is what is going to be on my mind as I seek to let the spirit of God direct my actions and my words and my thoughts. Sure, I will fail plenty of times and feel guilty about it, but maybe something will change in me. Maybe I can do better than I have before.
