How To Avoid Spiritual Distractions

A tale is told of a gifted bloodhound in England that started a hunt by chasing a full-grown male deer. During the chase, a fox crossed his path, so he began to chase the fox. Then, a rabbit crossed his hunting path, so he began to chase the rabbit. After chasing the rabbit for a while, a tiny field mouse crossed his path, and he chased the mouse to the corner of a farmer’s barn.

	The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching….” Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!” — Acts 5:27-29

The bloodhound had begun the hunt chasing a prized male deer for his master, but wound up barking at a tiny mouse, all because he tried to focus on more than one thing. As humans, we’re equally guilty. We set so many expectations for ourselves that we often never meet even one of them.


The disciple and apostle Peter knew this struggle well. On the one hand, he had expectations of obeying the authorities’ commands to stop preaching Christ. On the other, he knew his obligation to God was much more important. So he made the decision to obey God rather than the authorities.