01 Jan Distracted Much? – Jan 13

By Poppy Ivone

Picture this. There is a family sitting at a table in a restaurant. The kids are playing games on their iPads oblivious to the world around them. The mum and dad are completely engrossed in something on their phones, not paying attention to anything else. No one is communicating. Does this scene seem familiar? Yeah, me too.

Suddenly the things that were supposed to help make life easier begin to take over our very life. We cannot NOT be on our phone or computer. We are so involved with so many things that we don’t even enjoy any of them. Technology dependence and an overcommitted schedule become the norms and life turns into one big checklist of to-do’s. This is a real problem with people, marriages, and families today. Everyone is so entangled in the chaos of busyness and status updates, that their real life, complete with the people and things that really matter, is breezing by unnoticed and unappreciated.

We do not always realise how much time we are taking away from God and our loved ones by allowing these ‘distractions’ into our lives. Apostle Paul had penned down his exhortations regarding this matter in Ephesians 5:15-17 (ESV), “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” The Message Bible warns us in Proverbs 4:25, “ Keep your eyes straight ahead, ignore all sideshow distractions.”

We can claim back our life by doing 2 things:

1. Unplug

The issue is not how we use our devices, rather it is when. Free yourself from the notion that you must be reachable at all times. That every email must be responded to within the hour. That just because someone calls, you have to answer. Be reasonable about your communications. Bottom line is there must be times when you all unplug from your gadgets, and plug into your time with God and as a family.

1.  Restart

We have to set boundaries choosing to prioritize the things and people in our life. God first, family second, and the rest to follow. It is up to us to plan for and manage it according to its importance. Sometimes we need to say, “No” and perhaps cut a few corners to make time for our family. These priorities need to be reset regularly to remind us that the goal is to actually enjoy the life we have been blessed with  – to have a deeply satisfying relationship with Christ and to savour and maximize precious moments and memories with our loved ones.

Life is short. Do not allow yourself not to get distracted, much.

Adapted from:

McIlwain, A. (2012, 11 April). Distracted From Life [Blog post]. Retrieved from: http://foundationrestoration.org/2012/04/distracted-from-life/

3 Main Statements:

1. Technology dependence and an overcommitted schedule become the norms and life turns into one big checklist of to-do’s.
2.  “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” -Ephesians 5:15-17 (ESV)
3.  (The statement in Pic no. 3)