Greetings! I am coming back to you after a month of…well…chaos. And, chances are, you’ve gone through your fair share of it, too! Be encouraged, my friend, and take this time to refocus your heart and mind on the things above. Breathe. Grab a cup of coffee. And let’s start today’s journey.

Life is full of individual journey choices. Our journeys are unique, and though it’s a cliche/metaphor, it’s true. We have a main path that leads to our eternal home, but there are also, what I now call, “Side Quests.” Here’s an example:

You have the desire to read and learn from God’s Word, so you go to your side table where your Bible is and notice that the dogs need fed…so you go to clean out their bowls…which leads to seeing that you need to do the dishes…which reminds you that you need dish soap…which prompts you to write a grocery list…which makes you check your bank account…which reminds you that someone owes you $20…which makes you wonder how that person is doing…so then you scroll social media for 30 minutes…you get the point. All of a sudden, your mind took alternate pathways around your initial thought of spending time with God. And I don’t know about you, but for me, when my mind takes this type of path, it leads to procrastination in getting to my intended destination of reading God’s Word.

It happens to all of us, suddenly and seamlessly. Some Side Quests are part of daily life and are positive or necessary. However, many Side Quests lead to dead ends, where we waste time in backtracking to return to our main path. Hint: the enemy of our souls loves it when we waste precious time. As John Owen (17th Century English theologian) put it, “Satan’s greatest success is in making people think they have plenty of time before they die to consider their eternal welfare (or, eternal state).”

Before dinner one evening, I was lamenting about the fact that I hadn’t gotten a chance to write. My intuitive child said to me, “Well, mom, you’ve been doing a lot of Side Quests lately.” And my child was 100% correct. It made me stop and deeply reflect on what Side Quests were necessary and what Side Quests in my life weren’t helping me toward my ultimate goal of living for eternity.

For all those video gamers (like me) or avid book readers, this poses an especially meaningful connection. In many video games and books, there is what’s called a “Main Storyline.” More often than not, game developers/authors include Side Quests, which may offer a chance to learn something new, give you something valuable, or simply waste your time. And, how aggravating it is when we go to that side tunnel and find a dead end with a meaningless trinket or read a story side plot thinking it will lead somewhere, but we only end up with useless information that doesn’t contribute to the outcome of the main story. That’s how I feel when I take on Side Quests in my life that steal time away from my purpose in Christ.

How does it make YOU feel, friend?

Be wary of the Side Quests that waste your time. Pray for discernment in recognizing what God intends for your Main Storyline in reaching His promised Kingdom.

What Side Quests are you on today? Where does it lead? What is gained for eternity by it? What do you need to do in order for you to get refocused on your Main Storyline? Consider that today. Journal about it. Pray about it. And…don’t forget to wash out that coffee cup ; ). Affectionately,

©2020 Rachel D. Lyne

Psalm 119 (especially verse 105), Ephesians 5:15-17, Psalm 139:23-24, Proverbs 3:5-6, Hebrews 12:1-2, Matthew 6:25-34, Revelation 12:7-12.