College basketball fans are very creative in the way they cheer for the home team and irritate the visiting team. One of my favorite student sections is at Arizona State where they utilize “The Curtain of Distraction” on the front row behind the basket. Two fans hold up a black curtain throughout the game, waiting for the opposing team to visit the free-throw line. When the player steps up and receives the ball, the curtain is dramatically removed with the hope of causing the free throw shooter to miss. What happens behind this curtain, once it’s dropped, is hilarious and clever. Sometimes students will wear masks, dress up as Disney characters, or even rub mayonnaise on their chests. The shooter can’t help but notice the shenanigans taking place - especially when an actor, Indy car racer, MLB pitcher, or an Olympic swimmer appear behind the curtain. Head coach, Bobby Hurley's, former Duke teammate, Grant Hill, even surprised him by making an appearance. It's hard to quantify exactly how much all of this affects an opponent's ability to make free throws, but some studies have revealed a one to three-point advantage for Arizona State! For a free-throw shooter not to get rattled by “The Curtain of Distraction,” he must concentrate and continue thinking about making the shot. As soon as his attention shifts to whatever is behind the curtain, that free-throw becomes a lot tougher to make. Each day we are surrounded by our own "Curtain of Distraction," which is designed to cause our eyes and minds to wander. At home, instead of engaging with our family, we’re busy thinking about work. At work, we’re distracted because we focus on what’s wrong with our job instead of concentrating on God using us for His purposes while we work. Also, if we aren’t careful, the distraction of attractive people take our eyes off our spouses. Not to mention the countless other ways we’re distracted by technology, social media, and overall busyness. Ultimately, it’s a battle of our mind as we fight distractions and avoid getting sucked in. This is especially critical in our spiritual lives as we can easily get distracted by the world and all that it offers. We lose sight of what's most important and ultimately what God desires for us. To fight well against "The Curtain of Distraction," we need to use God’s Word as the lens we view distractions through. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Keeping our eyes on Jesus, instead of the distractions from the world, is also crucial. Hebrews 12:1-2 encourages us with these words: "...let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith..." The “Curtain of Distraction” will be present today, but instead of being rattled by it, let’s keep our eyes focused on Jesus and our thoughts pure, true, and honorable. Let’s be challenged to replace our distractions with thoughts that draw us closer to Jesus and keep us on His path. I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for being distracted and for thinking about things that don’t please You. Please give me the strength needed to keep my eyes on You and my thoughts pure, true, and honorable. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Discussion Questions for PACKS:
What distracts you the most during your day?
How do you avoid distractions or not allow distractions to cause you to lose focus on what's most important?
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