Turning to Christ and away from distractions

Those are just some of my worthless loves. How do I know I love them? You love what you pour your time and effort into, whether intentionally or unintentionally. The second part of that verse clears up WHY I pursue those things ... I'm chasing lies. Lies that tell me I have to have enough Facebook Likes, enough clothes, a pretty enough home, an amazing figure, enough words of affirmation or fans etc., in order to matter, to be significant. But in whose eyes does all that even matter? Does anyone REALLY care if we are all those things and have all those things? No! Because everyone else is so focused on being and having all those things themselves. Satan has us so wound up in these lies that we can't see the Truth. The only thing that really matters, from an eternal perspective, is God's opinion of us, His will for us, and reflecting who He is to the world around us!

So often, we miss out on a fruitful life because we are choking out the fruit with lies and worthless loves. Luke 8:14 talks about "the seed that fell among thorns." The thorns are the worthless loves. "The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures and they do not mature or bear fruit."

I don't know about you, but I don't want to live a thorny, fruitless life for Christ.

God,
Help me stop chasing after and loving the things that don't matter and aiming for the deception the enemy feeds me. If I really believed that eternity was all that mattered, I could free myself from this frantic desire to chase after what won't ever really fulfill me anyway. I'd be free of the anxiety that tells me to obsess about the lies and those worthless 'loves' that steal my purpose, my joy, my peace and my satisfaction that can be found only in you. God, give me wisdom to identify the worthless loves and the deceit so that I can flee from it and live a fruitful life for you! Amen.

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Stephanie Parker has three main loves: God, her husband, Brett and her kids!  When Stephanie created the Zipadee-Zip in an effort to solve her daughter, Charlotte's, sleep issues, she never imagined that it would become a business.  She is incredibly grateful to God for how Sleepingbaby.com has grown and how it has enabled other families to get the restful sleep they need.   Stephanie's husband, Brett Parker assumed the role of CEO which has allowed Stephanie to focus on what she loves which is the creative side of the company, like product and print development.  After the Zipadee-Zip was featured on Shark Tank, Stephanie went on to create the book Shepherd's Treasure, a Christian alternative to Elf on the Shelf. In her free time, Stephanie loves to spend time with her family and friends.  Her hobbies include acting, singing, painting, learning and speaking foreign languages and going on adventures with her family!  You will find her all summer waterskiing, fishing and laughing with her family on the weekends.