I met another older gentleman on my walk yesterday, only this was a little different from the day before. While the first man’s gait had been shuffling and slow, he still walked with purpose, focused on the road ahead. The man I met yesterday was focused, but not on the road ahead.
As I saw this person approaching me down the sidewalk, I could tell something wasn’t right. His head was down, his gait was slow, but he was also weaving a little from side-to-side and he held his hands clenched out in front of him. The closer he got the more worried I became that there was something wrong with him. Turns out I was right – he wasn’t watching where he was going!
As the man passed by me I saw why he seemed directionally challenged. Gripping tightly to his cell phone, he was texting furiously, while listening through earphones. To top it off he had a tablet precariously balanced on his left arm, so he could watch its screen while he walked. No wonder he was swerving back-and-forth.
It would be easy for us to criticize this man for letting his devices distract him, but we’ve all been there. Life is full of things that make us lose our focus. It can be problems at work, relationship challenges, school, or any number of other things. Distracted by these temporary complications, we lose track of where we’re headed, putting us at risk of ending up somewhere we really don’t want to be.
So, what’s the solution? How do we get back on track? We have to take a break, put away the things that are distracting us for a while, and refocus on what, and Who, really matters.
That’s what God gave us the Sabbath for. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27 NIV). Our Heavenly Father knew we, His children, could be easily distracted, caught up in work and other pursuits, forgetting to even take time to rest. That’s why He set aside one day each week for us to take a break, get some rest, and refocus on what really matters, our relationships with Him and the important people in our lives.
This Sabbath, don’t make the same mistake as the gentleman I met, letting yourself get so distracted you start wandering from the right path. Take a break, get some rest, and get back on track. I promise, you’ll be glad you did.