Sand Gnats and Other Distractions

Have you ever felt so distracted by something that it begins interfering with your ability to think clearly or focus?   Your mind is trying to grab a hold of something meaningful, but it keeps shifting away to something small, irritating…

Awhile back, I was sitting on the beach hoping to just relax and read for a little bit.  I had taken a peaceful walk along the shore; looking for little sea treasures.   But by this time, I was really looking forward to some quiet time with the Lord.    Just me, the waves, a good book, and some prayer.   I had good intentions, I promise I did.  

About 2 seconds after sitting down I was bombarded by sand gnats.  

The tiny little critters were landing all over my skin, buzzing in my face, and biting me like they had a personal vendetta against me.  Every time I’d go to swat them away, they’d disappear; only to quickly return.   It was absolutely maddening.  Me, being the stubborn one that I am continued to sit there thinking, I can do this.   I’m just going to ignore them and read anyway.   Here’s how it went.   Read a sentence, swat a gnat, wiggle around in my seat a little, try to concentrate, swat again.

Well guess what?   I couldn’t do both.   Eventually, I had to admit that I couldn’t read and fight gnats at the same time.  I couldn’t pray either.  My mind was so consumed with the gnats that I could think of nothing else.   I finally gave up and just got up and walked around for a bit longer before heading home; frustrated and discouraged.

My mind was so consumed that I could think of nothing else.

On the way home, I did start thinking about this and realized that there’s spiritual connection here.   How often do we come to the Lord with the best intentions; ready to pray, read, or worship.   But the moment we try, all the little distractions start buzzing in our minds and steal our focus.   A text message.   A worry.   A memory.   A task we forgot.   An insecurity.   A voice of doubt.   A million and one small things that nip at our peace and hijack our attention.  

And like I did at the beach, we often try to push through, thinking we can do both—swat the distractions and stay focused on Jesus. But deep down, we know we can't keep our eyes on Christ if our energy is constantly spent chasing distractions.

We can't keep our eyes on Christ if our energy is constantly spent chasing distractions.

Hebrews 12:2 tells us to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.” That word—fix—means to fasten, to lock in, to not let your gaze drift. Psalm 46:10 reminds us to “Be still, and know that I am God.” To do that, we sometimes have to step away from the swatting and intentionally shift back into stillness with God.

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

The sand gnats aren’t always going to disappear. Life’s irritations won’t magically vanish. But we can choose not to give them the power to pull us out of God’s presence.  As Colossians 3:2 urges us, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” We can get up, change our posture, refocus, and try again—this time with our eyes locked on the One who calms the swarms.