DISCLAIMER: I wrote this post in minimal lighting and a lack of electricity.Please excuse any typos in advance. The struggle was real, but needed to be told.
I've been a resident of the Poconos, Pennsylvania for the past 10 years. I was uprooted from my quaint urban city of Paterson New Jersey at the tender age of 16 to be acquainted with bears, deer, and lots and lots of trees. Those trees became quite a problem two weeks ago, when rural Northeast PA was hit with a tornado of sorts that snatched all power and electricity from my home and power outlets for a grueling 4 days. Though at first I started to create a laundry list of things I wouldn't be able to get done, those four days turned into an enlightening experience, and showed me a lot about removing distractions, intentionally or forcibly.
Distractions are EVERYWHERE. Those subtle time wasters can be the difference between 10 minutes and an hour of meme browsing.
We laugh and joke about it, but getting too distracted can really derail our visions, dreams, and the path that God has set out for us. I had a lot of time to think about this while I was unplugged from civilization. Talk about the light through the darkness!
Distraction from God is extremely dangerous. As believers we believe that God is the captain of our ship. When you start losing sight of your captain, you start trying to steer your own ship. Not only does this lead to going the wrong way, but it can lead you in the direction of trials, sin, missed opportunities, and missed blessings.
So what are some things that can distract us from what's REALLY important?
Distraction from God is extremely dangerous. As believers we believe that God is the captain of our ship. When you start losing sight of your captain, you start trying to steer your own ship. Not only does this lead to going the wrong way, but it can lead you in the direction of trials, sin, missed opportunities, and missed blessings.
So what are some things that can distract us from what's REALLY important?
Social Media
It may be more fitting to change this to all media! This is a personal struggle for me. How many times do we find ourselves rolling over at 7am, entranced by how many likes our last post got, our the hottest tea for the day? I'm ashamed to say I've done this so many times that I'm kicking myself around 2pm when my day is going ALL THE WAY to the left and I realize I forgot a little something. The media is so dangerous because it is so easy to get consumed in. Everywhere we turn, some sort of media is right in our face. And the worst part; it’s littered with filth. Almost every commercial on TV, and every advertisement on the Internet is trying to convince us that we are missing something, and they are the ones that can fill the need. Our young girls and women are bombard by the media with how they should look, feel, and act…movies, music, TV shows…they all are horrible influences on us because they can subliminally tell us how to live, what's right and wrong, etc. Unplugging from those influences for a few days gave me such a sense of relief and peace, I was almost hesitant to rejoin the social word and images when the light was shining again.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. -Romans 12:2
Routine
This is a common thing I allow myself to get distracted by all the time. The most important thing is that spending time with God should be in your routine! Far too often do we just squeeze God in when we have down time. Its so easy to get caught up in all the things we have to do, like work, eat, sleep, etc. I often find sleep getting in the way! I mean, if I didn’t spend that extra hour sleeping in, I would have a whole hour with nothing to do but seek God! But what I've learned along the way is that when I allow Him to be at the beginning (and End) of my day, it leaves very little room for error and the disasters that are possible to go wrong.
Being "too busy"
I think this could be another post all on its own, but too many times, we're guilty of using the "'B" word in concerns to our daily lives and how much we can (or can't) get done. Its almost like there's this secret society we all hope to join by proclaiming how busy we are at all times. I, for one, don't think, it's anything to brag about. We are overworked, overstressed, and spiritually undernourished. Our culture promotes “bigger and better” and subtly challenges us to keep up. Whew! Who made these rules anyway? Satan loves to keep us running in circles trying to beat the clock. If he can distract us, he can minimize our usefulness to the Kingdom of God. Satan may be the Prince of Darkness, but he is also the Duke of Distraction. As Christ representers, we have to be careful not to get caught up in the rat race that has become so popular in the 21st century. The Bible actually praise a peaceful and easygoing lifestyle, especially in Mark 6:31
I'll be the first to admit that it can be a struggle not to be distracted. I've jokingly said to people that I'm not sure how I've earned so many degrees because I have a very small attention span. But its in that moment of self awareness that I'm able to focus even more on the things that should keep my attention; God being the first. If we are aware of what, who, and when can keep us from a closer walk with God, we're even closer to being a force of focus.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is unusual for human beings. But God is faithful, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. Instead, along with the temptation he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to endure it.
Faithfully,
Brieana
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