"and he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;...and he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." - Mark 7:18;20-23
In my childhood, I can remember my Mother striving to nurture within me a love for reading. As my wife and I attempt to replicate that in our own children, I have come across, and thought of, many of the stories I have read through the years. Many of us, if not all of us can think back to when we heard the story of Hansel and Gretel. Who, through tragic circumstances at home, found themselves lost in the woods, due to some pesky birds who came and ate up the bread trail Hansel had dropped. They soon find themselves in a great deal of trouble, as they stumble upon the stuff dreams are made of. A cabin made of sugary, delicious sweets. For two hungery children, the decision was a no brainer, EAT!
SPOILER ALERT: A wicked witch, an oven, and a crafty plot later, they wind up home, safe and sound, with their father.
I recount this story, because I am reminded of what Jesus said in the verses above. How many times, through tragic, tempting, or trying circumstances of life do we find ourselves seemingly stranded, and away from our Heavenly Father? Unfortunately, for most of us, it isn't until sin has us in the "oven" before we realize it was a mistake to start gnawing on the licorice latices of whatever seemed so appetizing in the moment. We may seek to blame the trial or temptation for the catastrophic results of sin, but if we look deep enough... honestly enough...we will soon realize that it is within us that lies the problem.
I don't know what may be turning you away from God. What may be distracting you from His purpose in your life. More often then not, however, it is something that has festered in your heart. Something that may have seemed like a sweet, serendipitous distraction, but has now shown itself for the trap it truly is. As someone once said, "Sin will take you farther than you ever thought you'd go; it will keep you there longer than you ever intended to stay, and it will cost you more than you ever expected to pay."
Maybe it's time to just kick sin into the furnace. To be honest with yourself, and the Lord, and return to the Father.