I stood in my kitchen, frozen, unable to pinpoint the reason I’d walked so deliberately from the other room. I looked around then retraced my steps. Nothing. Something I’d been reading triggered a thought with purpose and intention and I’d acted on it immediately, not wanting to forget. Did I need to add an item to my grocery order or pay a bill? Had I simply meant to switch off the light? Maybe the thought would resurface. Maybe not. I find myself addlepated more often these days. A year ago, I would’ve blamed the chemo drugs. Burning the candle at both ends is a more likely culprit.
We live in an age of practically unlimited choices and the voices surrounding us are loud. We must resist the urge to take part in every single conversation or avail ourselves of every opportunity because the ceaseless noise has a cumulative effect. Like our cellphones, our most powerful super computers, our brains also require rebooting to maintain optimal efficiency. Carving out space for rest and quiet reflection is nigh impossible yet essential.
When I was a child, the one television station available in our home signed off after the evening programming and everyone went to sleep. Led by the currents of culture and modern thought impressed so liberally on the senses round the clock, it’s difficult to hold a single thought long enough to mull it over, much less meditate on it and internalize it’s truth, yet we need discernment more than ever.
I have no doubt that initially round the clock programming was intended as a good thing. After all, multiple time zones mean my wakeful hours are opposite someone half way around the world. And what of those who work nights?
James Dobson shared an analogy I’ve not forgotten in the two decades that have passed since I first heard it on his Focus on the Family broadcast. It began on my drive home from church and I distinctly remember sitting in the driveway, kids buckled into car seats, to hear the ending. He described a night watchman rattling doorknobs hoping to find them all locked as they should be after hours. An unlocked door signaled danger because the watchman was uncertain of what waited on the other side. An intruder or thief could easily have entered during his circuit.
“Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them:
“I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them.
Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.
My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
John 10:6-10 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.10.6-10.NLT
In Dobson’s analogy, parents are the locked doors providing security and structure for their families and the children are the night watchmen. They will certainly rattle the knobs. They will no doubt push the limits but finding doors firmly locked gives security. Allowing a child to play in a busy street or next to a cliff would be unthinkable. Unlimited access in a world that overwhelms adults is equally illogical.
“You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you.
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial.
Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.”
1 Corinthians 10:23-24 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1co.10.23-24.NLT
Reasoning skills, wisdom, and discernment come with knowledge and these things take time. Too often, however, we allow our brains to run in neutral, neither discerning or attending to what is right in front of our eyes. We scroll mindlessly through social media feed and video clips as I would stroll through aisles in the grocery store, seeing but not seeing. The problem is that our super computer is all the time recording and cataloging sensory input and building up a desire to repeat the pleasurable and avoid the painful.
Countless studies have proved our diminished attention spans. It takes fuel to power the motor that propels our vehicle up a slope, but we coast easily downhill. This mental picture should remind us of the importance of regular refueling, and not just our physical body but our command central as well. Guardrails on a mountain pass will not keep us from careening over the cliff, but they do provide a reminder of the danger, setting boundaries for our good. Shouldn’t we do ourselves a favor and lock some doors? Setting limits on ourselves is not a punishment. Self-control is a spiritual gift received in Christ, part of our Godly inheritance here on earth. Claim it today. After all, we cannot teach by example that which we do not possess.
“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.
Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.
The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants.
And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.
These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives:
love,
joy,
peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness,
self-control.
There is no law against these things!
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”
Galatians 5:16-17, 22-25 NLT
A Fitting Reply 
Great message
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