There’s an old phrase that says “stop and smell the roses.” This means we should slow down to appreciate and enjoy the simple things in life. This makes sense and is something that we should do. Recently though I have been in conversation and I hear these dogs in the distance just continually barking. It is enough to drive you crazy if you let it. What you don’t do is stop the conversation to listen to the dog, that just doesn’t make sense.
In the book of Nehemiah there were these folks that could have been a continual distraction to the work that was being done. At one point they even sent to Nehemiah to call him away from the work. Nehemiah’s response was I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you (Nehemiah 6:3 KJV)? They persisted and Nehemiah responded the same.
You see there are things that we will encounter that are just distractions from what we should be doing. The list of what these distractions could be are endless. These could be from the smallest thing like a little yipping dog to a large distraction like a massive dog. Paul warns Titus to avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, quarrels, and fights about the law, because they are useless and empty (Titus 3:9 NET).
If something distracts you from your purpose then ignore it. Instead let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you. Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established. Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil (Proverbs 4:25-27 WEB)
Ephesians 5:15-16 WEB 15 Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.