Like some who will read this, I sometimes struggle to stay focused on the direction God has in mind for the moment I am in. It is too easy to get off of God's highway and onto side roads that lead us away, even when intending to focus on our relationship with Him. So many distractions, so many side roads to explore. For some, it is a real challenge, one that our "always on, all the time" culture feeds. It is not a matter of having abandoned God or losing our love for him, but we sometimes allow other things to dilute our attention on Him. Not bad things, just the wrong things or when trying to do too many things at one time. We pull off of God's main highway and the next thing we know we are wondering what happened. We aren't the only ones who have noticed. God notices as well.
But my people have forgotten me; they make offerings to false gods; they made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk into side roads, not the highway, making their land a horror, a thing to be hissed at forever. Everyone who passes by it is horrified and shakes his head. Jeremiah 18:15,16 (ESV)
In this passage, God is describing to Jeremiah how his people have abandoned him, not in one large leap of revolt but through the ways they allowed their focus on him to be fractured until they adopted other beliefs and worshipped breathless gods made with their own hands. Then, God put his finger squarely on the issue: "to walk into side roads, not the highway." What God is saying here is that we must always keep the main thing as our main thing. Anything that we put before God is a false god. As the old saying goes, "never let the good become the enemy of the best." We must resist diversions that lead us away from God's purpose for us, because they will steal our heart from His embrace.
I can think of many examples in which this truth is proven today, including what happens when other things become the main highway for a believer, drawing them away from their special relationship with the Lord, or when work becomes more important than home, or even when doing church becomes more important than spiritual intimacy. There are a lot of side roads in our lives, but we live our best life when we stay on the main highway, whatever that means in our individual relationship with God. He has a master plan for each of us. Our side trips off of the main highway lead us away from that, just as it did the Israelites of Jeremiah's day. It does not happen in one instant, rather it is a series of diversions over time that lead us away from the purpose God has for our life, even from our own values and principles. It can happen to a career, a relationship, a nation, and it happens too often.
One sure sign that we have wondered off of the main highway is when we think we do not have enough time to spend time with God.
Even good things can be a trap. As much as we may not like to admit it, our time is a zero-sum game. There is only so much. Turning our focus away from the main thing diminishes momentum, progress, and depth. To optimize our time's value, we must demonstrate diligence in managing what we allow to capture us. When God reveals his main thing for our lives, we should not allow other priorities to intervene. Staying on the highway is the right way.
Yet, we have a life to live. Errands to run, work to accomplish, families to raise, and all of it wants all of our attention all the time. How do we honor our relationship with God and his purpose for our lives and still do everything that clamors for us? How do we stay on the main highway? To oversimplify the answer, I think these five strategies are a good start.
Focus on developing real intimacy in your relationship with God. Spend personal time alone with him every day, conversing with him as you would with your closest friend, the one you trust with your deepest secrets and fears. Worship Him from your heart. Be honest about what you desire in your relationship with Him and in searching out what He desires for you.
Be clear about His purpose for your life. Already understand it? Great. Use it as a litmus test for everything that pulls on your time. Don't understand it yet? Keep asking and testing, keep working on your relationship with Him.
Be alert for opportunities to engage with your purpose. Having our spiritual antennae up with an attitude of expectation increases our ability to perceive the moment. Moving into the moment through faith forms a bond between Heaven and earth, allowing God to operate through us.
Beware of the things that try to pull you away. Avoid the side roads by making disciplined decisions about the use of your time. Learn to say no gracefully when needed. Discover the happiness of life lived in harmony with His plan.
Do everything, even the small things, for the glory of God. Let that be a constant focus as you go about your day. Big things, small things, important things, and trivial things - they all still have to be done, but we can do them with an attitude and purpose of joy to His glory.
Stay on God's highway and allow him to say yes to what he has for you. Find your joy and peace in him as you travel life with God in the driver's seat.
Shalom