I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out.
From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
those weeping as not weeping,
those rejoicing as not rejoicing,
those buying as not owning,
those using the world as not using it fully.
For the world in its present form is passing away. (1 Cor 7:29-31)
One of my favorite movies is The Karate Kid. In it, Daniel LaRusso meets his mentor, Mr. Miyagi, who was a maintenance man in Daniel’s apartment building. Mr. Miyagi was also a karate master.
Throughout the series of movies, Mr. Miyagi always told Daniel that he needed to focus in order to do the task required of him. This challenge to focus almost always took place when Daniel was panicking because he was frightened and his confidence was wavering.
Long before Mr. Miyagi, St. Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth and his challenge would very much be the same: FOCUS! “Time is running out,” St. Paul wrote. Because of this perception, many people in the early Christian community lost their focus. They began looking to all the things that their world could provide. They began to find comfort and solace in the things of this world rather than in following the Lord. They began to stray from the path that leads to the Kingdom.
We are not all that different from the people back then. We, too, often look to this world for immediate reward and/or gratification. We look to this world for comfort and consolation. We look to this world for all that we need.
However, this world, while able to gratify us for a time, cannot provide what we truly need. This world, steeped in sin, cannot possibly lead us to the Kingdom. Only the Lord can do that.
We need to focus our lives so that we pay attention to the spiritual and ignore the invitations that come to us from this world. The world is not filled with promise. It is filled with distraction. Therefore, if we are to follow the Lord, we truly need to focus upon Him.
We do that best by embracing His commandments, His law. In doing so, we have the guide that we need.
FAITH ACTION: Pray for those who have abandoned themselves to the distractions of this world, that they may find their way back to the Lord. Pray, as well, for yourself, that you may remain focused upon Jesus.