When Steve and I first moved into our house, I had a lot on my mind. I was being pulled in a thousand different directions and feeling completely overwhelmed. We were adjusting to a new community, a new ministry, and new pressures.
One day, I was totally distracted, thinking about a whole lot of different things. I went to put the tea kettle on, but there was a problem: I put the plug-in tea kettle on top of a flame on my gas stove! In case you’re considering that move, it’s not a great idea. The kettle burned, and I almost set the house on fire! Definitely not my finest moment!
Ah yes, distraction is dangerous. Not only can you set your house on fire, but you can also damage your relationships and distance yourself from God. Often we are moving in such a state of hurry, so preoccupied by our own thoughts and agendas, that we fail to be fully present with people.
Jesus offered His full, undistracted presence to people. The gospels tell us that He looked at the rich man and loved him (Mark 10:21). He listened to him, not rushed or distracted. In another story, Jesus stops when He sees a funeral march. Knowing that the woman was a widow and that her only son had died, Jesus turned aside, felt compassion, and raised her son from the dead (Luke &:11-17).
As I think about these stories and my own propensities to hurry, plan, scroll, worry, and daydream, I am convicted. Jesus calls us to offer His loving, peaceful presence to others.
Author Henri Nouwen wrote, “From experience, you know that those who care for you become present to you. When they listen, they listen to you. When they speak, you know they speak to you. And when they ask questions, you know it is for your sake and not their own. Their presence is a healing presence because they accept you on your terms, and they encourage you to take your own life seriously.” I want to offer the healing presence of Christ, but that means I have to let go of distractions and train my mind and heart to offer others my full presence.
3 Benefits of Living Undistracted:
Your Relationships Will Feel More Connected. I guarantee it, your family and friends want to feel heard. They want to feel as though you are fully present with them. They don’t feel well loved and cared for when you are constantly scrolling your phone or when you hurry them to finish their sentences. Conversely, when you offer them your attentive listening, allowing them to finish and fully process their thoughts, they feel more connected to you. Practice listening well this week, and see if, by the end of the week, you don’t feel more connected to those you love.
Your Brain Will Function Better. There have been countless studies done that help us to understand that when we multitask and live distracted, we make more errors, and we decrease our brain’s ability to problem solve.
Your Experience of God Will Grow Deeper. So often we miss what God is doing because we’re so distracted. What if, instead, we made it our practice to live attuned to God’s presence through the day? Imagine with me for a moment, if Moses had been on his cell phone scrolling while wandering in the desert. He might have missed the whole burning bush experience. I wonder how many burning bush experiences you and I miss out on because we are distracted?
Friends, we are more distracted than ever. Take a few moments in the next couple of days to turn off your cell phone. Settle down in God’s presence and ask Him to help you recapture the ability to focus.
Purchase Becky’s latest book Cultivating Deeper Connections in A Lonely World here.
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