The door into my home office happens to be only about 25 feet from the living room television.  That may seem a fair distance away but is actually closer than you might think.  This, by the way, is the same television that is often being watched by someone.  And the same television where my sons play their friends or brothers in online Xbox competitions.  Perhaps you can imagine how boisterous that becomes at times.

Yes, I can shut the office door, and I sometimes did.  But even that didn’t block out all the distracting noise erupting from and in front of the tv.  Plus, there isn’t a heater vent in my office, so the room can grow rather chilly at times if the door is closed.  Another approach I’ve tried has been playing music off my iPod on my iPod player.  This helped, but also failed to fully resolve the dilemma. (Unless I cranked up the volume … which only compounded the problem.)

But finally I found a solution!  I ordered a pair of Bluetooth noise-cancelling headphones from Amazon, and – eureka! – problem solved!  I slip those babies on, and I hear nothing except the music of my choice floating softly into my ears.  (I also don’t hear when my wife tries to ask me something, but that’s another situation and story.)

I realize that some can function just fine with background noise, but most of us find it distracting.  Or at least somewhat distracting. Yet, aren’t our lives pinballing with distracting “noise?”

Our families, our relationships, our property, our jobs, our many responsibilities, our personal wellbeing and our hobbies all ratchet up the noise levels in our lives.  As do our bills, difficulties, challenges, frustrations and anxieties.  COVID has spawned a plethora of additional distractions.  Through it all, our heads and hearts “are on swivels” as our attention is constantly diverted, trying to take everything in.

Friends, this is how it often is for us, but this is not how it should be.  This is not God’s recipe for contentment.

So how do we put on our spiritual noise-cancelling headphones and cut out the distracting noise all around us?  As always, God’s Word provides insight.  The one-word summary is … focus; the two-part approach is … focus on God’s Word, and focus on God.

Want to mute out the distractions of your life?  Step one is dial in the sweet music of God’s Word.  The Lord encourages us to “pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words.  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body” (Proverbs 4:20-22).  “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds” (Deuteronomy 11:18).

Step two is to lock our attention onto our God.  That’s kind of obvious, isn’t it?  But it’s easier said than done.  Yet that is Scripture’s encouragement to us; that’s the second part of the Lord’s noise cancelling solution.  

“Fix your thoughts on Jesus” (Hebrews 3:1).  “… Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1-3). 

And here’s some more noise cancelling words: “Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: who created all these?  ‘To whom will you compare me?  Or who is my equal?’ says the Holy One.  Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:25-26, 28-29, 31).

As long as we sinful people live in this sinful world, we will be inundated with potential distractions.  But thanks be to God, he provides us with a wholesome and helpful solution to the racket of the world.  The more we focus on the Lord and his Word, the less distracted and dismayed we will be.

This was illustrated to us in dramatic fashion by our Savior himself on a visit with his dear friends, Mary and Martha:  (Luke 10:38-42)

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.”

“But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!’”

 ‘“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”’

Too often we are Marthas; Jesus encourages us to be Marys.  Block out the distractions and concentrate on what is truly important.  We will be the better for it!