Be Vigilant

In my line of work, I can always tell when my coworkers tried to complete a task when they were distracted. Let’s call it, WWD. Working While Distracted. This bothers me the most when they are working on a monetary related task or anything to do with a customer’s account. The moment the mistake is discovered, we know exactly what was going on at the moment. They were likely conversing with peers and having a little too much fun. Fortunately, at my job, many of these mistakes are easily corrected. But think about those professions where even a moment of undivided attention can be detrimental. Even deadly.

While considering that, I started to meditate on a few familiar bible verses that do an apt job of describing the adversary for us. In one verse, the description says he is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Another says that he disguises himself as an angel of light. As I read those two verses, I began to think…which is it? How do I know who to beware of and who to trust? Those descriptions are not the same. Then I began to realize the importance of vigilance and being undistracted.

My coworkers are great but on occasion, their conversation truly drifts into the weeds. That leads me to make a practice of tuning them out or listening with one ear. That half listening is completely intentional in order to spare me from being dragged into conversations about the world’s largest jar of peanut butter or the names of their DnD created worlds. On occasion, however, that has resulted in me mishearing a statement. While the outcome is often comical, people have been in similar situations before and it opens up a whole bucket load of misunderstanding.

Why is our focus so important? If you are a driver, then it has probably been crystal clear to you when someone around you is distracted. Either by something in the area, conversing with passengers, or even on their cell phone. It’s difficult for them to keep that car in the lane it should be in and suddenly you’re driving for them and yourself! When we lose focus in our spiritual lives, it’s a bit like that swerving car that won’t stay in the proper lane.  We get easily distracted, we're discombobulated, and everything else. No wonder so many people think they aren't hearing from God. There is too much interference.

No wonder so many people think they aren't hearing from God. There is too much interference.

Back to those two descriptions of the adversary. I grew up with entertainment industries doing a bang up job of convincing me that the devil had bright red leathery skin, horns on his head, a tail, and a pitchfork. If you were to do an online search for ‘devil’ right now, you’ll probably get an image close to that in the search results. So thinking that we should keep our eyes peeled for a roaring lion was pretty easy when that’s what he looked like. Think about it. If you are rolling down the street and a red skinned man with horns or a massive lion with a mighty roar jumps out in front of you, you’ll either be scared frozen or will run for your life. As you should if you don’t want to be devoured! Not to mention, if that is what you are looking for, then you’ll likely be on guard. But what if that is not how the adversary enters your space? What if he appears before you as that angel of light? What if you don’t recognize the danger until it’s too late? Afterall, temptation is not rooted in fear. It's purpose, to tempt you, is achieved by catering to what is pleasing to you. That is why we need to stay vigilant.

By staying vigilant, we remain alert so that whether a roaring lion or a wolf disguised as a sheep crosses our path, we are not easily deceived. In a state of vigilance, fear of danger doesn’t prevent us from living the lives we’ve been blessed with. Instead, it allows us to become more aware of dangers we would have otherwise ignored. An example would be in studying the scriptures. If I’m continuing to study on a daily basis, it becomes increasingly difficult to convince me that something is biblical. My ears become more aware of what sounds like truth vs. what actually is truth. A few years ago, I was watching a classic film and they referenced a bible verse at the end of the movie. It definitely sounded right because I recalled reading on the topic before. When I went to look up the verse they quoted, I was stunned to realize there was no such verse. To be clear, the quotation definitely was a verse several chapters after what was quoted. At the  time, I was completely mystified that they should quote a fake verse instead of just grabbing the real one. People, however, have a tendency not to do the research themselves if it sounds like truth. For us as spiritual beings, therein lies the danger of deception.

We must be intentional about keeping our focus on God. Unlike when I’m around my coworkers, we should listen for God attentively with both ears tuned in so that we don’t miss what he has to say. By knowing the scriptures, it becomes increasingly difficult to sway believers with a hint of truth. There are no white lies. A lie is lie. Similarly, truth is truth. You can sugar coat it if you want, but then it's no longer pure truth. If we maintain our relationship with God and seek after his truth daily, then the lies and the deception that lurks will not be able to uproot us. 

Keep it Vigilant and Stay Sunny!

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