“I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you.
I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.” 1 Corinthians 7:35
MANY YEARS AGO, Leadership Journal ran a cartoon of Martin Luther sitting in front of a television, holding a remote control and channel surfing. The title offered the comment “If there had been television in 1517,” and the punch line was Luther saying, “I ought to write down those ninety-five things I was thinking about the other day… naaah … let’s see what’s on the tube.” The great Reformer, who is famous for writing ninety-five charges against the church and changing the landscape of Christianity by introducing Protestantism, was procrastinating so that he could watch a little more TV.
Television, video games, social media. They seem like harmless distractions, but they can be empty, time-wasting bunk. Though they may provide a mental break for the moment, when I think of all the other, more significant things I could be accomplishing, I cringe.
How much healthier would I be had I taken a walk rather than channel surfed for two hours? How much face-to-face time could I have had with family and friends had I not spent hours on social media-often while sitting next to one of them? How many people did I fail to give a kind word and a smile because I was too engaged with a game app on my phone? How many conversations with God did I miss because I was busy checking how many Facebook likes I received?
When God has called us to do something Kingdom important, that’s exciting! Let’s commit to avoiding distractions so we don’t lose out on opportunities to make a lasting difference in the world and into eternity.
Father, I am so easily distracted! When I look at what distracts me, I can’t believe what I fall victim to. Make me aware of when I’m losing focus on what’s truly important-and give me strength to choose wisely.
***
©2017, Walk Thru the Bible, taken from Daily Moments of Peace
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