Is Distraction Really That Dangerous to the Christian Life?
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While I don’t have definitive proof, it is probably a fair assumption that we are living in an age where we are more distracted than ever. Distractions can come from the phones in our pockets, the watches on our wrist, the radios in our cars, or even the computers and television in our homes. The opportunity to be distracted is everywhere, and these are just the technical, non-human distractions.
Here is some data I found from Prosperity Media and Exploding Topics that further makes the point.
- The average office worker sends 40 emails per day and receives 121 emails per day. They spend on average 15.5 hours each week just dealing with emails.
- The average person spends 2 hours and 24 minutes on social media every day.
- The average American checks their mobile device 159 times a day.
- Users will spend 4 trillion hours on social media this year.
With the ability to be pulled in so many directions literally at your fingertips, how do we confront this onslaught of distraction? The first thing we must recognize is what being distracted costs us, because it is far more than missing a deadline. Distractions have consequences that can affect every aspect of your life. Most importantly, it can affect every relationship in your life if you don’t address it properly.
3 Perils of Distraction in the Christian Life
Psalm 46:10 tells us to be still and know that he is God. Well, how is this possible with the litany of distractions that are constantly bombarding us? The reality is we cannot be still unless we address the distractions in our lives.
Here are three perils that can result from being distracted.
1. Distractions Make You Less Attentive
Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone who was not paying attention? Maybe they were checking their phone, watching something on television, or engaged in some other activity. Whatever it was, you did not have their full attention. How did that make you feel? This is how distractions affect relationships. When you are engaged in a conversation and you are not fully attentive – whether intentionally or not – you are showing the other person that what they have to say is just not that important to you. That is not a good basis for any relationship.
I don’t know about you, but if I am talking to someone and I feel like they are not engaged or paying attention, I stop talking. This does not just apply to our human relationships, it is true of our walk with the Lord as well. When we pray or read the Bible and are distracted, we are giving a higher priority to something else over that time spent with the Lord.
One morning I got up, and I wanted to pray and read the Bible. As I was going to pray, I heard a notification go off on my phone. Immediately my mind shifted, wondering who was reaching out to me and was it something important. After that, my mind began contemplating the many tasks I had to accomplish that day, whether they were related to work, family, or ministry. All of this was triggered by a notification on my phone and needless to say I could never get my focus back to pray that morning. I think about this and realize how sad it is that one simple distraction disrupted the time I wanted to spend with the Lord.
2. Distractions Make You Less Productive
Have you ever felt like you can’t get anything done? It could be there are too many things pulling your attention away from what you need to focus on. These things are not always bad, sometimes they even feel necessary. However, if you give into the distractions often enough, you will be less productive.
3. Distractions Make You Less Effective
The third peril of distraction is you become less effective. By that I mean when you do things, you don’t do them as well as you could have. One word that is chief on the distraction list is the idea of multi-tasking. This sounds good in theory, but what it really means is that you engage in a lot of different activities, but none of them are executed at a high or exceptional level. You cannot do ten different things at once and expect them all to be done with excellence.
How Do You Overcome the Perils of Distraction?
Turn Off the Technology
This might be the most difficult thing to do because we are so married to our technology. If you don’t believe me, think about how you feel when you leave the house without your cell phone. Most people think their world is going to end.
Trust me, it won’t.
We must learn how to turn the technology off so we can give our focus to the things we are doing. One area this is crucial is when you are reading your Bible or praying. Here is a suggestion – while it is great reading your Bible on the phone, when you are in your personal time with the Lord, get a physical copy of the Bible. Turn the phone off or leave it somewhere you can’t hear or respond to it.
The goal is to create spaces where you can avoid distractions and removing the items causing the distraction is one way to do that.
Give Your Full Attention to Who or What Is in Front of You
You cannot do everything because you are a limited resource and so am I. This means we must focus on the task at hand. Sometimes the distraction comes because while you are trying to do one thing, you are thinking about the next thing you must do.
I encourage you to practice giving your full attention to who or what is right in front of you. This is called being in the moment. Regardless of how much you must do, the truth is you can only do one thing well at a time. Focus on that one task or that one person, and give it or them your full attention. Not only will the person you are engaged with feel more valued, but the work you do will improve as well.
Be Intentional about Moments of Solitude
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16).
When Jesus walked the earth, everyone was grabbing for his attention. However, he never allowed what was being asked of him to take away from time in solitude so he could pray.
What a contrast to how we live. We count being busy as a badge of honor. Jesus counted solitude as a necessity so he could spend time in prayer. It is not only okay, but necessary to get away from people and things so that you can focus and pray. I talked earlier about how distractions take away your attentiveness. Well, solitude helps to bring it back. This could mean taking a walk, sitting outside, or just finding a quiet place in your house. Wherever that place is, be intentional about finding it and make sure you remove all the distractions for that period. It may seem a little scary at first, but the more you practice it the more you will value those moments.
Be Proactive about Focusing
The only way to remove distractions is to be purposeful about it. It will not happen until you decide to do it. If you don’t, you will always find yourself too busy, too tired, and not as effective in the different areas of your life. The solution is simple, but the challenge is in the execution. Letting go and turning off is difficult, but the more you do it, the better off you will be.
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