Focus on the Action Not Distraction

One of the wonderful things about our marriage is the depth of conversations we have. One Saturday morning, Terry got up before me and had already had his quiet time when I came to the kitchen for coffee.

When I sat down on the couch he told me, “While I was praying this morning, God revealed something to me about magicians, and how much like the world they are.”

Believe me. If you have ever seen the t-shirts and mugs that say, “No coffee, no talkie,” that pretty much sums me up in the mornings. I need a few sips of caffeine to recharge my brain, so I had no idea what in the world (pun intended) Terry meant by magicians were like the world.

He went further and asked me, “Have you ever watched a magician?”

I said no, but of course I have seen magicians. I love watching them; especially when I’m watching shows like, “America’s Got Talent,” where the best of the best are entertaining us. But I knew what Terry meant … he meant, have I ever watched them so closely that I could figure out why or how they did what they did. The answer would be maybe. Some of them are so silly, of course you see the plastic bouquet of flowers coming out of their sleeve. Others are so good, you wonder where they were hiding things that suddenly appear, or where was the magic opening in the floor to make someone disappear?

But then Terry nailed it on the head. He said, “As Christians, we are the audience and the magician is the world. The world is showing us flashy things or impressive acts, but we are to focus only on the Lord. We have to focus on the action not the distraction.”

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.” - Romans 12:2 (NIV)

That scripture sums up the image of a circus act, and the magician to me. The world says to us, “Look, we’re all doing it … it’s okay. Go ahead. No one will care if you lash out at someone in anger. Everybody does it. Get it off your chest. It will feel so good.” But if we apply that concept to the God Filter … we know we are able to test and approve what God’s will is. His good, pleasing and perfect will does not suggest we call people out for their behavior, in anger. His good, pleasing and perfect will does not suggest we fall in with the crowd and agree with something that is wrong, just because everyone else is doing it.

The more I think about it, I see magicians every single day. We listen to them on television. We see them in our places of work and on the roads we travel and in the stores where we shop. The people who agree with the masses, simply because, “it’s better than before,” or, “everyone is doing it,” are conforming to the pattern of this world.

Let’s be different. Let’s be transformed by the renewing of our minds. That way, just as Paul told us, we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is. His good, pleasing and perfect will. Let’s focus on the action (seeking God’s will) not the distraction (the world and the evil, corrupt ways).