Preoccupation Paralysis? Do you suffer from "Preoccupation Paralysis"?
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Luke 17:26-28
Definitions:
- Preoccupation: The state of being preoccupied; absorption of the attention or intellect.
(As Christians, preoccupation with things that effect our daily focus on following Christ can leave us unprepared for opportunities of service.)
- Paralysis: Loss or impairment of the ability to move a body part.
(As Christians, we are part of the Body of Christ - or His Church, and if we are adversely effected by things that preoccupy us, we do effect the Body of Christ).
While wickedness was certainly apparent in both Noah's and Lot's day, Jesus' emphasis in these verses was not so much on the extreme wickedness of the day, but on the people's preoccupation with mundane matters of everyday life (i.e. eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting, building). In both of these instances the people were unconcerned about such matters as following Christ and therefore were swept away unexpectedly in the midst of their daily activities when judgment fell suddenly.
As we go through our "matters of everyday life", are there things that keep us from following Christ will all of our heart, all of our soul, and all of our mind? If there are, let's take the time to truly consider those things and see where they should fit in our life. If "where they should fit" and "where they currently fit" are different, let's ask God to help us prioritize them appropriately. By doing this, we can both individually as Christians and corporately as the Body of Christ avoid the unfortunate condition of "Preoccupation Paralysis", a paralysis that can have devastating consequences in our lives and the lives of others if not urgently addressed.
Prayer:
Lord, please help me to be discerning enough to recognize the mundane things that preoccupy my thoughts and, once recognized, please help me to prioritize those things appropriately so as not to impinge in any way shape or form your leadership in my life. Amen.
- References:The MacArthur Study Bible Copyright © 1977, Word Publishing, All Rights Reserved.
- The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2004, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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