In the emergency department, I had to constantly discipline myself to be alert for the most critical problem rather than the most obvious problem. For instance, a disfiguring facial injury could distract me from attending to life-threatening abdominal injuries. However, the emergency room is not the only place where the challenge of discerning importance exists.

A quote by Stephan Schoerghofer in a recent article in Christianity Today magazine reminded me that my worldview is at risk for distraction as well,

"When a population becomes distracted by trivia, when cultural life is a perpetual round of entertainments, when serious public conversation becomes a form of baby-talk, when, in short, a people become an audience and their public business a comedy show, then a nation finds itself at risk."

Can this same trivialization happen in my spiritual life? The answer is yes. However, the apostle Paul focuses on the most important – "That I may know Him." (Philippians 3:10 NIV) Knowing about Him and knowing about His principles are important but not the most important. Knowing Him and being known by Him in order that He might transform me into His likeness is most important for me.

How easily I allow the spiritually trivial to occupy me.

This week let us major on the majors!

 

Sharing the journey with you,

Bob Snyder