In our ever-busy society, it is easy to get caught up into thinking that the only way we can accomplish anything is by multitasking. This is huge misconception. While most of us—especially moms—like to pride ourselves in our ability to multitask, it is scientifically proven that multitasking results in errors and hinders productivity. In fact, it is impossible to give one hundred percent of ourselves to more than one thing at a time. As people have come to this realization, a societal push to encourage the fatigued multitasker to focus on the task at hand has developed.
“Be present” has become today’s new mantra. It simply means that when doing something, it is best to give our full attention to that one thing. This definitely is easier said than done. Our world is overflowing with constant distractions, from smartphones to social media to television. Certainly, many must struggle, as do I, to “be present.”
We may think that this is a modern-day problem, but it is an age-old problem that God addressed in Exodus 24. Verse 12 says, And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them. Before God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, He instructed him not only to come up in the mount but also to be there. In this verse, we can see that God was telling Moses that, in order to teach the commandments to the people, it was not enough for him just to come into the mount to receive the commandments; he had to …be there… In other words, Moses could not allow anything to distract him. God knew that it would be impossible for Moses to teach the commandments to the people if he was too distracted to receive them as God had intended.
When I read this verse, my heart was pricked. It was as if God were speaking directly to me. He reminded me that I need to …be there… when I am with Him. How many times do we open our Bibles to read, bow our heads to pray, or even go to church to hear; but are we really there? We allow our minds to wander and become distracted by so many things around us when, instead, we should dismiss the distractions to focus on the task at hand.
Just as God’s instructions to Moses were important for him to follow to successfully minister to the people, we must follow the instructions given to us in God’s Word so that we can help others. We have so much to do for God, but if we ever hope to “give it one hundred percent,” we must focus on what He has for us to do. We can effectively teach others—whether that is our children, our students, or a Sunday school class—and even grow spiritually ourselves, as long as we make sure to …be there…
by Crystal Collingsworth
