In this 2 minute video Pastor Jared of Time of Grace speaks in general terms about our distracted lives.
Our Sin of Distraction and What We Miss Because of It
We live in an age of distraction; in fact, we are the most distracted in all of history!
I am distracted, you are distracted.
We all should be genuinely concerned about how we lack focus.
We cannot focus for an exceedingly long time on one thing; we bounce from topic to topic, game to game looking for something to hold our interest.
It has not always been this way. We have allowed it to be so.
One of the First things God makes it clear to Moses is that we must worship God with all our heart. By that God means we should worship him above everything else in life.
When we are distracted away from that an “idol” is created. Sa-tan, aka. Lucifer works hard to get us to be distracted from God. Mostly it is not hard to do.
We do not seem to care that the games we play, the entertainment we watch etc. has no lasting value.
Our heart which means our soul is inclined to deny God from birth. Almost out of the womb we declare “I”.
Each and everyday the world hangs on what we pray, how we think and what we do. The unbeliever, the secular world is pursuing an agenda of self, self-aggrandizement, and pleasure. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in your life provides self-control.
The question becomes on what and how we set our minds daily.
Matthew 16:23
23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
It is extremely hard with the demands of this world to set aside time for Bible reading, prayer, and contemplation. We must be intentional and persistent. The truth is we make time for many things that are trivial at best. So, there are no real excuses.
Colossians 3:1
3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Setting our minds on God and prayer does not mean we must become a monk or nun, it means we acknowledge God first and always and make time to read his word in scripture, to pray to the Persons of God the Father, Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Ignoring them is little different than ignoring your loved ones.
The post-modern world has made everything subservient to OUR needs and wants. Expressive individualism has become our right to seek satisfaction in the things of this world.
Psalm 119:37
37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
“A worthless thing is something false — not false as in a bold-faced lie, but false in its effectiveness, “the idea that hopes and expectations prove false when placed in persons or things that are ineffective and therefore untrustworthy” - New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis
Worthlessness covers some profoundly serious sins: rebellion, idolatry, moral evil, falsehood, lies, and deception to name a few. These are sins we all commit every day!
Worthlessness can include all our activities. Which begs the question: What really brings value, meaning, and purpose to our lives? Biblical ethics is not about avoiding sinful things. It is about learning to enjoy and engage in the things that truly bring meaning and purpose and eternal joy into our lives. The worthless things of this world provide a 24-hour streaming feed of “eye candy”.
Our commitment and Prayer requests must be to not to set our eyes on worthless things. Yet we must be aware and on guard because worthless things will entice us in those moments when I need God to act on my behalf.
So, I challenge you to become more intentional about how you are distracted. Put your cell phone away, leave it in another room. Pick up a book and read for 2 hours. There are many ways to learn to concentrate.
William James’s American philosopher and psychologist stated it this way: “When we reach the end of our days, our life experience will equal what we have paid attention to, whether by choice or default”.