In the first Star Wars movie (A New Hope, not Episode I), the death star scene is, perhaps, one of the most intense scenes of the movie. Today, I thought about that scene, when a squad of rebel pilots were making their attack run on the Death Star, and the leader kept telling his wing men “Stay on Target, Stay on Target!” when they were distracted by enemy activity. What does this have to do with anything? I procrastinated when getting out of bed. I knew I should have gotten up an hour earlier than I did, but I didn’t want to. In that time, I could have read my Bible in a quiet house, I could have written this devotional in a quiet house, and I could have been done in record time. But I chose to stay in bed. Don’t get me wrong, it was nice; I enjoyed the extra hour of sleep, but when everyone was awake, I had to restart passages I was reading in my bible study several times, and I could not even concentrate enough to write anything down for the devotional. If I had just stayed on target, I could have gotten it all done in peace and quiet, and with plenty of down time to spare.
How often do we procrastinate in doing something, and then got distracted by the fall out? In spending time with God, we should be deliberate and intentional. We should set aside time, as Jesus did, in a desolate place while it is still dark. When we’re up and getting ready for the day, distractions come, especially when you have a house full of children. Time that should have been prioritized is now diminished by distraction, and who knows if and when we could get it back. This is why we need to stay focused. The world and its troubles will do everything it can to distract us from God’s purposes, especially time alone with God. That is the time we refresh, replenish, and receive our orders for the day! OF COURSE Satan and the world He rules wish us to be distracted! Stay on target. Don’t let anything distract you, and watch how God’s peace rules over your life, even if it seems chaotic, like in my house, at times!
Colossians 3:1-17
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
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