I wonder how we would total the cost of “distracted living?”
How many of us have missed important moments in our lives because our attention was somewhere other than the moment we’re living in right then?
Parents checking their phones while their children try to talk to them. A husband checks email while trying to act like he’s paying attention to his wife's story. I’ve even seen people answer their phones while praying. Really?
Who more important than God is going to call you?
Google wants to follow you everywhere. Everyone wants to know your “current location.” That way, when you get next to one of their stores, they can send you a message to stop in and buy something.
Our digital society wants to know where you are and what you’re doing 24/7. And honestly, we give in to this pressure because we’re afraid we might miss something.
But how is God going to get a word in edgewise when we live with kind of distraction?
Jesus sought solitude in the wilderness. So did Elijah. Moses went to the top of a high mountain to talk with God. No one heard from him in over a month.
Can you imagine dropping off the grid for a month? We’d feel like Rip Van Winkle.
Maybe we don’t need to do anything drastic, but we do need to do something.
Cut off your phone to create a quiet place and time for prayer. Discipline silence in your heart so that when God speaks, you can hear. Practice looking your spouse or children in the eyes when you listen to them. Grant them the privilege of your undivided attention.
How strange it is that we stay connected to the world because we’re afraid we’ll miss something? And all the while, we missed what really mattered, even though it was right in front of us the whole time.
