Be Alert and Persevere
By: Joetta Roberts from Columbia, MO
Ephesians 6:11 tells us that we are to “put on the whole armor of God” so we can “stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” Verse 18 says, “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition ….”
With this in mind, let’s consider one of the common schemes that Satan uses to get us off track—distractions. If Satan can distract us, he can take our minds away from our true focus on spiritual matters. His distractions prevent us from obeying the great commands, which are to “love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” and to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:29-32).
Jesus warned us of distractions in the parable of the sower:
"The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity” (Luke 8:14).
When He described “the seed which fell among the thorns,” Jesus was describing believers who are not on the alert, who become distracted, and eventually lose their focus on the Lord. This can happen in all phases of our life. Let’s consider distractions that may come in different phases of life.
An early phase, which we could call “Phase 1,” is when we are looking for a mate. We find someone, get wrapped up in that person, and spend less time thinking on the Lord. Then, temptations come. Because we are not on the alert, we do not act with wisdom. The distraction of a potential spouse has shifted our focus.
A second phase can occur in marriage. We focus on our husbands at the expense of focusing on the Lord. This is mentioned in 1 Cor 7:34-35:
“The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.”
A third phase would be when we have children and begin expanding the family. Many distractions come with this phase. Just taking care of the needs of the family can cause our focus to be on the physical instead of spiritual. Jesus spoke of this in Luke 10:38-42 as he praised Mary for focusing on the spiritual and warned Martha for worrying about the physical.
This gradual loss of focus occurs for many young families who are not on the alert. As parents, we want our children to have all the opportunities that life offers. We want them to excel in whatever they pursue, no matter how trivial. It can be sports. It can be schoolwork. It can be music. It can be scouts. And these worldly pursuits, though wholesome, not only distract us, but also teach our children upside-down priorities. I hear kids in my Bible classes say, “I didn’t have time to do my Bible lesson because we were too busy this week.”
The consequence of these distractions is not visible for some time. It is noticed later, and often when it is too late. When the children are older, if they and the parents have been distracted by wholesome fun and worldly activities, they have been trained not to focus on the Lord.
This morning, a man happened to pray about this in the worship service. He asked the Lord to help parents remember that “there are no games in heaven.” Our children can see what our focus is.
A final phase is “Phase 4,” which happens late in life. Even older Christians can worry and forget to trust in God. Sometimes, they are distracted with poor health, forgetting that the Lord is in charge. An example of this is in II Chron 16, where Asa trusted in his physicians rather than in the Lord. Other times, we are distracted with wealth, although this can occur in all phases of life.
I now realize, in my older years, that I have somehow trained myself to be on the alert and to notice when I am beginning to lose my focus. When I start a project, I tend to keep at it until it is finished and neglect something else. Along the way, I can begin losing my focus on the Lord as I spend less time reading and meditating on His word. When that happens, I get edgy. I know what is wrong.
We need to get in the habit of getting edgy when we don’t spend time in God’s word. And we need to do something about it. We must always watch out for distractions that come our way. Distractions can sometimes turn into the things we love the most, which are replacements for the Lord. We can know what we love the most. It is what we think about and talk about the most. We should continually examine ourselves and try to see ourselves as God sees us.
So, how do I persevere to the end? I have got to be on the alert to the very end. First, I must be aware of all distractions that come in all phases of life, and I must examine myself to see if I am losing my way because of these distractions.
Also, I must develop the practices that help me keep my focus. These practices work in every phase we go through. Listen to sermons while cleaning the house or exercising. Sign up to teach a Bible class. Worship the Lord in private by singing hymns and praying. Pray for one another, and don’t give up—persevere.