I once had a dog named Gold. She was very playful and always wanted to be around me. Whenever we were indoors, she followed me from room to room. If I went to the kitchen, she was there. If I went to the bedroom, she followed. She would even sit outside the bathroom door just to stay close. In many ways, this reminds us of building a strong, lasting relationship with God, where our desire is to remain near Him continually, seeking His presence in every part of our lives.
She loved being around me and always wanted to play whenever I was free. Indoors, we were inseparable. But everything changed when I took her outside for a walk. Outside, she became completely distracted. She ran after every movement, every sound, every smell. It was as though I no longer existed. No matter how I called her or even showed her a treat, she was too busy chasing other things to pay attention to me. This illustrates how hindrances to effective personal relationship with God—distractions, desires, and worldly pursuits—can pull our focus away from Him, even when our hearts truly want to stay close.
She would run around until she was tired, and only then would she return. Watching her one day, a thought struck me: Is this not how some of us behave toward God? When there are no distractions, we have time for Him. When life is calm and quiet, we can pray, read our Bible, and worship. But once something more “interesting” shows up, our attention shifts.
If there’s no important football match, God can have our time.
If there’s no urgent business deal, we can focus on Him.
If there’s no relationship demanding attention, we can pray longer.
If the house is quiet and nothing is pressing, then we remember God.
The strength or you ministry is determined by the strength of your secret place.
But once distractions appear, He gets pushed aside.
As a dog owner, I must admit I don’t feel happy when Gold ignores me completely because something else caught her attention. It makes me wonder:
How does God feel when we give Him only our spare time? Do you think He is pleased when He gets what is left over after everything else has taken priority?
Serving God requires intentionality. Distractions will always be there. There will always be something competing for our attention. But we must choose, deliberately, to make time for Him. This is at the heart of how to build a personal relationship with God—setting aside deliberate moments to focus on Him, listen, and cultivate intimacy despite the noise around us.
God should not be our last option. He should be our priority. May we not seek Him only when we are in trouble or in need. May we learn to value His presence above every distraction. May God help us to stay focused on Him.
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