Have you ever imagined what it must have been like to be a wealthy, powerful king, like King Solomon? The common people, if they wanted to have music, had to sing it or make an instrument and play it themselves. Solomon, on the other hand, could call on dozens of singers, who probably had songs for his every mood. A king, if he was bored, could have dancers, actors, athletes--all at his beck and call!

Even more amazing, though, is that in the modern Western world we also have entertainment choices galore. Dozens of CDs, dozens of TV channels. A king like Solomon would have been amazed--we have options beyond his wildest dreams.

You may remember that Solomon started out wholeheartedly seeking God and His wisdom, and God blessed him with great wisdom and prosperity. But something went wrong. It seems that even wise Solomon let all his options distract him from God and God's way.

Distractions can trip us up, make us less effective and even keep us from the Kingdom of God. On the other hand, being focused can help us be effective in our priorities, achieve our goals and wholeheartedly serve God for all eternity.

In this editorial let's look at the subject of focus, of what we can do to avoid being distracted from the most important things in life.

Choking on things

Do you remember in the parable Jesus gave about the sower in Matthew 13? The sower scattered the seed on different kinds of ground. Christ explained that the seed represented "the word of the kingdom," or God's truth. Some of it fell on the hard roadside, and some on the rocky ground. But for the purpose of this article, let's read in verse 7 about ground that greatly resembles some aspects of our day today: "And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them."

Now look at verse 22 where Christ explained this part of the parable: "Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful." Mark adds "the desires for other things" to the list (Mark 4:19). Luke includes the "pleasures of life" to those things distracting us from bearing fruit for God (Luke 8:14).

It seems Solomon let his getting of things and wives distract him from his first love-from wholeheartedly seeking God. It's too easy in this day and age to also get distracted.

How can we avoid this tendency? I wish I could say I have found a silver bullet to help me avoid distractions and refocus--to concentrate--but I have to admit I found it hard even to focus on this article!

A little help from my friends...

No, I didn't find any easy answers for focus, but I did find that family and friends can help a lot. If I tell my wife I'm trying to cut down the time I waste on TV, she'll help me remember.

A friend at church also has helped me a great deal with encouraging words to help me refocus on what is really important.

First, my friend tells me that the most important thing for him is to love God with all his heart, soul and mind. I hear it every time I talk to him. He reminds me that nothing in this world--not movies, not new cars, not millions of dollars--is important compared to our relationship with God. As Matthew 22:37-38 says: "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment."

Consider also the classic scripture in any discussion of priorities, Matthew 6:33. This section of the Sermon on the Mount talks about food and drink, nice clothing-all the things we need and want. God focuses us on the important things in verse 33: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

God wants us to have our priorities right, to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness. He knows we can't do this on our own--we can even ask Him for His help to stay focused! Then everything else will fall into place.

Under attack

My friend also reminds me we're in a war, and Satan is always ready to distract us and attack us, whether with billboards or things on TV or negative comments from people we see. We can never let down our guard. We need all the protection, all the armor God provides. Ephesians 6:10-17 describes the armor of God--a life-saving reminder in the dangerous times we face. I can't cover it all here, but I hope you'll exercise your "sword of the Spirit," the Word of God, and review the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel on our feet, the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation. By remembering we're in a war, it can help us refocus and not be caught off-guard.

Another thing my friend reminds me of is how much we need the Kingdom of God. He thinks about the starving children in Africa. He thinks about those affected by the violence in the Middle East. He thinks about those affected by gangs and drugs and violence in our cities. He thinks about all the pressures and bad influences on young people today. He looks forward to a time without Satan's influence. Talking to him reminds me to sigh and cry for the abominations in the world, and to fervently pray, "Thy Kingdom come!"

Revelation 22:20 expresses the longing the apostle John had, that my friend expresses and that we can all share as well:

"He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming quickly.' Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

These reminders are the trunk of the tree. They are foundational principles of Christianity. Keeping them in mind can help us avoid the distractions that so easily beset us. They can help us in making decisions about priorities in our use of time, in our use of money, in how we live our lives.

With help from my friends I'm recommitting myself to focus--concentrate--and wholeheartedly seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. There are lots of things that can seem more urgent (those things that seem to demand our immediate attention, no matter how mundane and temporary), but there's nothing else more important.