Distractions

BEYOND THE BASICS
John Maddocks | Toronto, Ontario

I was born in 1962. I grew up in a time when there were no cell phones, personal computers, gaming systems, nor DVD players. Yes, we had TV, but those were the days before cable TV and Netflix, so viewing options were very limited. My family did not have a colour TV until I was 9 or 10 years old. Now, you can watch whatever show or movie you want, any time you want, and you can even do that on your smartphone. If you have a research paper due, just turn on your computer and Google whatever subject it is that you are studying and you will find a world of information at your finger tips. If you want to play a game, there are any number of gaming systems available, and if you don’t have one, then you can play on your PC or your smartphone. The technological world has advanced in amazing ways in the 55 years since I was born.

This growth has resulted in some tremendous benefits for mankind. For example, many amazing web sites have been developed and by these efforts the gospel has been shared with people in all the countries of the world, even places where Christians are severely persecuted. With the Internet, many have received an education, including the ability to audit classes from some of the world’s greatest universities. With web sites like YouTube you can learn to do almost anything, and visit places in the world you might never be able to see. By use of the Internet, you can learn a new language, learn to cook, or learn sign language – the sky is the limit.

But these technological advances have also led to great harm. Pornography is rampant and readily available, regardless of a person’s age. This has caused untold harm and devastation to many lives. Terrorists use the Internet to spread their vile ideologies and recruit new adherents. They use modern technology to communicate with one another and coordinate their terrorist activities in different parts of the world. And if bullying wasn’t bad enough in person, cyber-bullying is criminal. Just as the sky is the limit when it comes to technology’s benefits, abuse of technology can plummet and devastate.

So, what’s the point of all this? In one word: distraction. With the advent of things like cell phones, PCs, gaming systems, and DVD players, the distractions available to us have multiplied exponentially. Sadly, the more some have become distracted by such things, the more their spiritual lives have suffered. Maybe you see yourself suffering as a result of these distractions. I know I have.

In Matthew 22 Jesus is being questioned by a lawyer. In verse 35-38, we read:

Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?' Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.'

Distractions are nothing new. Yes, they have evolved over the course of time, but they have always been around. To love our God the way Jesus reminded us we should, we must seek to remove distractions from our lives. Distractions are not in and of themselves evil. At times, we need distractions and they can be a source of great refreshment (things like vacations, hobbies, clubs, etc.). However, when distractions become our focus in life, we are in trouble. When much of our free time is spent gaming, hobbying, and vacationing, we set ourselves up for spiritual failure.

Distractions are a problem, no matter what stage of life we might find ourselves in. Young, old, middle aged – none are immune from their siren call. By definition, a distraction is a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else. For the Christian, it is our God who deserves our full attention. We certainly have responsibilities to our employers, employees, spouse, children, parents, siblings, and other family members. We may have other responsibilities such as school and to our friends, but even these responsibilities need to be dealt with God always in mind. The same is true when we are vacationing. We do not go on vacation from God. Vacations are not a license to do things that are contrary to God’s will. If we are involved in a club or a sports team, whatever we are doing, God must always take center stage.

In Philippians 3:7-11, Paul wrote:

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

These are not the words of a man distracted by anything. Paul was focused, just as we need to be focused, on gaining Christ. You’ll remember that Paul encouraged Timothy with these words:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Timothy needed to be spending time in God’s word; we all do. In order to do that effectively, he needed time free from distractions, where he could devote himself to study and meditation. Brethren, there are times we need to turn off our phones, PCs, gaming systems, DVD players, and Netflix. We need to do this in order to give time to our God, attention He deserves to receive. God is worthy of this sacrifice we offer Him. We need this undistracted time with God and His word in order to be the people of God that we know we should be.

* All passages quoted from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

17.10.03 | GROW magazine