Straight to the Cross

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from Devotions for Easter

 Let go of anything that is not leading you straight to the Cross.

Distraction is something we all deal with. You may remember having a dream, calling, or perhaps an inkling of what God created you to do. Then along came jobs, bills, dental appointments, and everything in between. Before you know it, you’re just trying to make it to bedtime so you can get some sleep, get up, and do it all over again.

But what if we could separate ourselves from all the distractions and focus on what really matters? Can you think of the last time you gave your complete and undivided attention to something important, laying aside all distractions?

Brother Glenn knew how to keep his eyes fixed on what mattered. He came from a small town in southern Alabama and ended up pastoring a very successful church with several thousand members in middle Tennessee. He was the kind of preacher you would listen to with your pen at the ready because you knew he was going to say something worth writing down.

Folks often asked him how he could come up with fresh material week after week, year after year. Brother Glenn would respond by saying, “It’s not that difficult. I just take any passage of Scripture and run to the cross.” He wasn’t distracted by trying to entertain people. Instead, he kept his eyes on the cross and the message of Scripture, and God was glorified.

When the time came for Jesus to begin His journey to the Cross, He didn’t allow any distractions to stop Him. The Cross was His God-given task, and He would have nothing to do with any attempts to alter His course. When Peter dared to chastise Jesus for speaking of His death, Jesus stopped him short. 

Get behind me, Satan, He demanded. 

Peter was being a hindrance to what had to take place (Matthew 16:23). Jesus was on His way to the Cross, and He would not be distracted.

Do you have that kind of commitment to God’s will? Are you faithful in the easy times but a bit more distracted when things get tough or even just busy? When you’re beset by distraction, ask yourself one question: What are you focusing on? Or, more importantly, what God-glorifying things are you being distracted from? Let go of anything that is not leading you straight to the Cross and hope it holds.

Today, let’s turn our focus to the Cross! What’s holding you back? What’s popping up in your view and turning your gaze away from Jesus? Let it go!