Have you ever been late to work or anywhere because of a frustrating traffic accident?  People like to complain about “rubbernecking” – the habit of slowing down the car and turning our head to look at a situation on the other side of the highway.  The accident itself isn’t in the way, but because of the rubberneckers, both sides of the highway are slowed to a crawl.  What’s interesting is that often when you ask those complaining about rubbernecking about the accident, sometimes they can give you a lot of detail about it.  How many and what type of cars were involved.  How many and what type of emergency vehicles were involved.  Whether it looked like there were serious injuries.  Of course, they couldn’t know these things unless they were also “rubbernecking.”

When rubbernecking, or just talking about it, we can forget about what we’re supposed to be doing because we’re focused on the details of something else.  When we were supposed to be focused on driving, we were focused on the accident, when we were supposed to be working, we were talking about the accident.  We probably talked about it with our family when we got home too.  However, all the while, the police and medics likely had the accident under control, and we couldn’t do anything to help the situation.

Social media seems to amplify this tendency.  “Hot takes” and trending stories on the internet tell us to look at some problem “over there.”  So, people all get focused on whatever other people decide the crisis of the moment might be.  The allure is so compelling we don’t even know we’re doing it, and it’s just like the car accident and rubbernecking.  We’re focusing on something other than our own destination and our own duty.

Why do bad things distract us so easily?

This reminds me of the story found in the Gospels about Jesus walking on the water.  His disciples left by boat late in the day to cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, while Jesus remained behind.  During the night, the disciples struggled to cross the sea because of stormy weather, but shortly before dawn, Jesus caught up to them, walking on the water!  The disciples thought it was a ghost, but Jesus responded in Matthew 14:27, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

Peter does more than just “take heart,” he replies in verse 28, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  Jesus tells Peter to come to Him, and Peter succeeds in also walking on the water.  However, it didn’t last.  “When he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’”  Peter began to sink, but Jesus grabbed his hand and helped him into the boat.

How is this like the car accident and rubbernecking?  The connection is that Peter was able to do miraculous things, but only as long as he focused on Jesus.  Once he lost his focus by looking at the waves, he stopped being able to do what the Lord told him.  To walk on water.  Instead, he sank.  A better version of Peter might have been able to reason: “If Jesus could empower me to walk on water, certainly His power could overcome some waves.”  But Peter couldn’t resist focusing on the bad parts of his situation.  Things that actually didn’t concern him.  The wind didn’t concern Jesus when He walked on the water!

Can we walk on water?  Can we do miracles?  Probably not, but when we are focused on Jesus, we can do a lot better than when we are not.  When we focus on our circumstances (think Peter’s wind and waves), we sink into them and become unable to do God’s will.

J.I. Packer wrote: “If you ask, ‘Why is this happening?’ no light may come, but if you ask, ‘How am I to glorify God now?’ there will always be an answer.”  Likewise, if we question why there was a car accident (that didn’t involve us), or why something bad is going on somewhere in the world beyond our reach, or even if we question why something bad has happened to us, maybe we’re too focused on circumstance and not enough on God.  However, our purpose is always to glorify God and His purpose is always to make us more like Jesus, so if we ask, “How am I to glorify God now?” we will find a way forward.

Therefore, the next time you find yourself faced with a difficult set of circumstances, whether they are near to you or far away, keep your focus on Jesus.  While we may not walk on water, we can often be surprised at what He can accomplish through us as long as we don’t allow circumstances to distract us.

“Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”