Recently I went to the hardware store to buy some particular item that I needed. After browsing through the store for a while, I arrived at the check-out with a number of items. I then had to stop and think - what was it that I had come here to buy in the first place? There were so many items around me in the store, that I got distracted from the original purpose of my visit.

The same thing can happen when we decide to research something on the internet.

We can start one place - such as finding out about a flight for our next vacation - and end up finding information on all kinds of other related items - just by clicking on different links. Again we got distracted from our original goal.

Unfortunately we can easily get distracted from what is important in life, and spend a lot of time and energy on things that really aren't as important.

The first and most important thing that we should not get distracted from is our relationship with God. If we have accepted Jesus as our own personal saviour, believing he died for the wrong things that we have done, then we have been brought back into a right relationship with Him. It is up to us to keep our attention on Him by studying the scriptures and spending time with Him in prayer. We also need to meet with other Christians for worship, teaching and encouragement as we walk with Him and tell others what He has done for us.

The second thing we should not get distracted from is our relationship with our spouse.

Through time this relationship can easily be taken for granted. Our job or hobby can quickly become something that is distracting us from it. We need to purposefully keep that relationship alive by spending quality time together (get a baby sitter and schedule it into your appointment book if necessary). It takes time and energy to keep our relationship going the way it should.

The third thing we should not get distracted from is our relationship with our children. After a hard days work we can easily disengage from our children when we get home.

We must make a concerted effort to give them the attention they crave. Help them with their homework, play road hockey with them, or just sit down and talk with them to find out how their day went. Those who say "they grow up so fast" are right. Give them your time. You will never regret it.

Just as in the hardware store or on the internet, there are many things that might distract us. In fact, the world around us is full of distractions. Last year we took a trip to New York City. Just looking down Times Square is enough to boggle the mind. There were signs, billboards and lights everywhere - each one trying to get our attention.

The world out there is like that. We are being bombarded by messages coming at us from all directions. Go here, do this, believe that.

Let's remember to not get distracted from those important things in life - our relationship with God, our relationship with our spouse, and our relationship with our children. Spending time on each has great rewards.

Jim Rintoul Bethel Bible Chapel Shelburne