HAS YOUR BIRTHDATE CHANGED?
It was a frantic morning at the clinic when I arrived for my doctor’s appointment. Few of us wanted to be there. The patients were sick and just wanted to be home in bed. The staff seemed overwhelmed with the packed waiting room. The registration line slowly inched forward, and it was finally my turn. That’s when things got crazy.
The receptionist asked me for my name, birthdate, doctor, time of appointment, personal ID, co-pay, and insurance card. Later they would even get my blood! Then she asked me, “Has your birthdate changed?” HUH? Are you kidding me? Before I could answer, she asked if any other personal information had changed. Since the situation was frantic, I just said no.
Obviously, she was distracted by all the commotion and didn’t mean to ask that question, right? There is absolutely no way to change your birthdate, though many people have tried. We can chalk this erroneous question up to her distraction and preoccupation with the business of the day.
Distracted people do silly things. Distracted drivers drift from lane to lane and often cause accidents. Distracted pedestrians (petextrians) walk into traffic and ditches. Texting, eating, talking, and other distractions cause people to get into much trouble.
Regarding distracted drivers, there are three types of preoccupations that hinder safe driving and can lead to accidents:
Visual – taking eyes off the road
Physical – taking hands off the wheel
Mental – taking mind off of the task of driving
There are some unsettling parallels between distracted driving and our Christian walk. Many Believers start well but lose their way with Christ. The things of the world distract them from the
correct focus, and they fall back into a life of sin. The world distracts us: things we see, things we feel, and things that fill our minds.
Paul taught us in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober minded, watchful.” In other words, stay focused and keep you mind on living as a Godly person. Do not become like Lot in the Old Testament. In Genesis 19:16, Lot was living in Sodom and Gomorrah. The two towns had become so corrupt, that God decided to destroy them.
As a result of Abrahams’ prayer, God sent two angels to save Lot and his family. In light of impending doom, with angels begging him to get out of town, Lot lingered! The preoccupation and attraction of his things, almost caused him to die with them.
This Christian life demands that each day we renew our commitment to Christ. Each day, we are to look away from the attractions of the world to Christ, who is our only hope. Comments?