When We Wander

Welcome back everyone!

Are you distracted easily?

**Image of Distractions**

What kind of things distract you?

Here are a couple of fun stats to look at:

The average human attention span is 8 seconds.

50% of people can’t focus on a task for more than 8 minutes.

60% of people can’t go 10 minutes without checking their phone.

The world we live in is full of distractions. Some of them are awesome, like when you’re outside on a hot day and see a pool with your name written all over it. Others are not so much.

Sometimes its difficult to stay focused on what we are doing, especially if what we are doing takes a long time.

It is important to have systems in place that can draw our attention back to what is in front of us. Anchors, if you will, that will keep us on task. Things like noise-canceling headphones, alarms on our phones, or study groups operate as these anchors.

We can use them to call us back to what we need to focus on when we get distracted.

Just like it is normal to get distracted in our day-to-day lives, there are times in our walk with God when we get distracted. We are distracted by this ambition or that temptation.

Distraction is a part of life, and often, we cannot help it when we get distracted. Sometimes, our eyes cannot help but be drawn to whatever shiny thing is in front of us.

The tricky part is learning to recognize when we are distracted and knowing how to refocus.

If we are not aware and intentional, we can easily lose ourselves in distraction.

If we linger too long with whatever is distracting us, We begin to place our identity and value in that thing.

Often, the things that can distract us are good things we placed on a pedestal that they are not designed to occupy.

We need to know how to recognize when we have been distracted. Only then can those good things be enjoyed as they were meant to be.

So, how do we stay focused on God and His work in our lives? How do we combat that distraction and not get bored with our faith?

Not only do we need to recognize, but we also need to find the anchor to bring us back. Today, our is on what it means that Jesus is the ultimate anchor that brings us back when we get distracted.

As we continue to look at the book of Colossians, let’s look at a few key things to help us understand why it was written and what else was going on.

Paul knew all about the ebbs and flows of a walk with God. He knew that there would be times of great joy and times of difficulty. He knew there would be times when the Colossians would get distracted and forget what they were doing and why they were doing it. Paul knew the Colossians needed an anchor.

Up to this point, Paul has been talking about their walk with God. He had shared ways for them to take stock of whether they were growing. He had shared his prayer for them as they walked through difficult times.

But then Paul changes directions a bit. No longer is he talking about the Colossians, though he will get back to it. Paul gives the Colossians an anchor. It was time to remind them why they were walking with God.

Col. 1:15-19

We could talk about Jesus the Creator, the Sustainer, the Image, the Brother, the Ruler, and the Reconciler.

But for the sake of today’s focus, we are going to take a look at the bigger picture of what Paul is trying to communicate.

Our anchor is closer than we imagine

The first big takeaway from this passage is that we are more intimately acquainted with and reliant on Jesus than we probably realized.

Look at v.16)

Jesus is who holds us together. Everything from our breath to the beating of our heart, to the joy we feel when eating tacos, to the comfort we feel when we are cared for by a friend.

All of it is being held together by Jesus. And this is true for everyone and everything in creation, from rocks to rhinos, to trees, to mosquitoes, and to every person who has ever lived, whether they believe in Jesus or not.

That is intimacy and involvement to the maximum degree. Jesus is the one who moves the world, who holds it together. Which leads to the next big takeaway:

Our anchor is the main character of this story

We are all here because of Jesus and for the sake of Jesus.

Jesus is the main character of the macro story of the world and all the micro-stories of our lives, whether we follow Jesus or not.

There is no doubt for the believer that Jesus is the author of all creation. When we behold His power and who He is, it compels us to worship and honor Him more. All of creation, not just our little planet, but the entire universe, rests in the power of Christ.

At first, this idea might rub us the wrong way. We are so used to viewing ourselves as the main character that it can be hard to change perspectives.

But the more that you sit with it, as a follower of Jesus, you realize that hidden within the idea that your life is ultimately not about you is the idea that your life is a part of something larger than yourself. You are connected to a story that is bigger than you can imagine. It’s a story that’s not yours to write alone; it’s not up to you to make it happen or to keep it going or hold it together. Jesus does that, so the pressure is off of you!

Which brings us to the final takeaway.

Our anchor reconciles us

v. 19-20) Reconcile means to restore relationships. In our sins, we have broken our relationship with God. God is perfect and holy and does not tolerate anything outside of that.

As humans, we are born with a sinful nature and, because of that, cannot live a perfect life. But God, in His love, mercy, and grace, sent Jesus to die for us to reconcile or restore our relationship with Him.

If Jesus is the main character of the story of the world, this is the plot of that same story: ultimate reconciliation and healing. When Jesus died on the Cross, something profound happened: Peace was made, and we have been reconciled to love and beauty despite our brokenness.

Jesus’ work, the story Jesus is telling, is simply expanding the borders of that peace and reconciliation until it includes everything.

It was Jesus’ literal earthly death in our place that took the judgment and punishment for our sins. Since He was fully God and fully man, He had the power to be raised from the dead and ascend to heaven, where He reigns today and holds all things together.

This is the story that we are a part of. This is the center point of the narrative we are all participating in. The anchor of the world. Christ on the Cross and Christ on the throne, making peace.

So, what does this mean for us when we get distracted?

Col. 1: 21-23

This is where Paul brings home the anchor for our soul. He turned away from the Colossians and toward Jesus to remind them why they were walking with God. Now, it is time to turn back to the Colossians and us. “And you…”

Remembering that The person of Jesus is the anchor that brings us back when we are distracted will serve to bring us back into focus when we get distracted by everything that is going on in our lives.

So, what does it look like to remember the story and let Jesus be our anchor?

Build a routine of connecting with the anchor.

It doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated, but figure out a practice that you can do regularly that is designed to remind you of our connection to Jesus.

This could be anything from reading your Bible in the morning while you eat breakfast to writing a prayer in a journal before you go to bed.Get creative with it! The goal is just to re-tether yourself to the story briefly each day.

We are all busy people. Some of you may need to really prioritize this and schedule it out so you don’t let distractions get in the way.

Set a reminder on your phone to focus on the anchor.

An idea you could try is the 5x5x5 plan.

5 minutes in the Bible, 5 minutes of prayer, 5 minutes of worship or reflection

That’s 15 minutes each day where you’re tuning out distractions around you and focus on Jesus.

Include a friend.

You don’t have to do it alone. Find a friend and make a plan to remind each other of the closeness of Jesus each day. Find People to ask you questions, bring accountability, and model a Christ-like faith for you.

So maybe you and some close friends could set up times each week to text each other or ask each other at school, “How are you doing at staying anchored in your faith?”

Maybe you and some friends can read through the Bible together and talk about it. You could each do the 5x5x5 plan and collaborate on it.

Distraction will always be a part of life, but so is refocusing. If Jesus holds all things together, let’s make sure we build habits and relationships that keep us anchored to Him.

Since being distracted is part of being human, It’s easy to lose focus, and if left unchecked, it’s easy to lose our sense of who we are and what we’re living for when we’re distracted.

This isn’t a new problem. Throughout all of history, men and women have lost their focus or their sense of identity. They’ve made the choice to go their own way and focus on the wrong things. The Bible calls that sin, that separates us from God.

That’s why God sent Jesus. To pay the price for our sins. He took our separation and distraction from God and offers us peace and reconciliation instead. Through His death and resurrection, nothing could ever separate us from our Creator.

It’s why when we talk about the gospel, we call it good news. It’s because of what Jesus has done for us.If you want to learn more about that come talk to me or your small group leader tonight before you go home! We’d love to have that conversation with you.

So this week, as you feel distracted or pulled in a hundred directions, take time to pause and reflect on Colossians 1. Because Jesus is the ultimate anchor that brings us back when we get distracted. Let’s pray.