Tag Archives: distractions

October 15, 2025 · 5:46 AM

Storm Of Distractions

If you watched the movie, “Up,” then you remember Doug the dog. Every time someone goes on a rabbit trail or gets distracted, either they say, “Squirrel,” or someone else does. I hear people say it often because we’re a lot like Doug. We get easily distracted. We have our eyes on the prize of where we’re headed and something shiny gets our attention. We try to pray and we start thinking of all we have to do today. When we try to read the Bible, our phone goes off with someone trying to reach us. We live in a world full of distractions, but we must learn to keep our eyes on Jesus.

In Matthew 14 after Jesus fed the 5,000 He put the disciples in a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. Somewhere in the night, a storm came over the sea and began tossing their boat. At 4:00 in the morning, while fighting to keep the boat afloat, Jesus came walking to them on the water. When they realized it was Jesus, Peter asked to get out of the boat and walk to Him. Verse 30 says, “But when he realized how high the waves were, he became frightened and started to sink. ‘Save me, Lord!’ he cried out” (TPT). Jesus reached out His hand, saved him and walked him back to the boat. When Peter got distracted, he began to sink and became afraid.

Proverbs 4:26-27 says, “Watch where you’re going! Stick to the path of truth, and the road will be safe and smooth before you. Don’t allow yourself to be sidetracked for even a moment or take the detour that leads to darkness.” It sounds simple enough, and it’s easy to pick on Peter, but we all get distracted by things around us or our circumstances. Taking the easy way out has become the norm, but we must stick to the path of truth. We can’t allow ourselves to get distracted so that we make decisions out of fear. We can’t allow distractions to get us off of God’s path. When we find that we are straying or are being distracted, we need to be like Peter and cry out, “Save me, Lord!” Just like He rescued Peter, He will rescue you and walk with you through the storm of distractions.

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April 15, 2025 · 5:53 AM

Clearing The Clutter

Mark 11:15-16 says, “When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace” (NLT). Just outside the Temple, there was a large open area called the Courtyard of the Gentiles. It was created so people who weren’t Jews could come to worship God, engage in theological discussions and encounter Him too. This area was filled with an open air marketplace with vendors yelling, livestock making noises and filled with the stench that comes with animals. Jesus was upset that an area God designed for people to engage with Him was filled with of chaos that distracted them from their purpose for being there.

In Luke 10:38-42 Jesus was visiting the house of Martha and Mary. While He was teaching the people, Martha was busy in the kitchen banging pans, moving chairs and serving people. Mary, however, sat at the feet of Jesus hanging on every word. Martha got upset that her sister wasn’t helping take care of everything and everyone. She asked Jesus to rebuke her sister and make her help, but Jesus replied, “Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions?” (TPT). Instead of worshipping, engaging in theological discussions and encountering God, she was not only distracted, but was creating a distraction. Instead of flipping tables, Jesus gently reminded her that she was missing an encounter.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world” (NLT). If you’re surrounded by chaos, busyness and distractions, it’s time to clear the clutter so you can encounter God. Like Mary, we need to make space to sit at His feet and listen. We need to flip over some tables in our lives that are distracting us from our purpose. God wants to have daily encounters with you. He’s created space. Have you? Find time to be still and honor Him. It won’t be easy, but as Jesus told Martha, it’s the most important thing. It needs to take priority over everything else. Let this Holy Week be the time you cleared the clutter and made room for Jesus.

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June 18, 2024 · 5:33 AM

Look Straight Ahead

I’ve always been a fast driver. When I was in my early twenties I got tickets for speeding a lot. I would always go to the judge and ask if I could take defensive driving to get it dropped from my record. I used the same instructor for my classes each time. After about my third time in, he began to recognize me. On one of my trips to his class he pulled me aside and asked if he could give me some advice. I nodded and he said, “Quit looking at the car immediately in front of you. Train your eyes to look 30-45 seconds ahead of you and you won’t have to visit me so often.” I found that when I looked straight ahead down the road I noticed more things and was less distracted by things around me. I’m pretty sure that was the last time I took his course.

In Judges 13 we’re introduced to Samson’s parents. An angel visited his mom and said, “You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines” (NLT). Samson had a strict set of rules to live by and a purpose, but as he got older he began to take his eyes off of that purpose and dedication. He fell in love with a woman from the country he was supposed to liberate Israel from. He quit looking ahead, got distracted and was defeated by his enemy. However, on his last day he got his mindset right and killed more Philistines in one blow than all of them from the rest of his life combined.

Proverbs 4:25-27 says, “Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.” Where are you looking? Are you being distracted by things around you that are keeping you from your purpose? It’s never too late to refocus or to return to the path God has laid out for you. Our enemy places distractions all around us to keep us short sighted and to get us off God’s path for our life. We must retrain our eyes to look straight ahead so we can focus on God’s plan. When we do, we will find that we’re less susceptible to things that will keep us from our God given destiny.

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June 4, 2024 · 5:42 AM

Minimizing Distractions

Stephen Covey developed and taught his four quadrants model to show how we spend our time. Quadrant one is on things that are urgent and important. It includes pressing problems, crisis and things with deadlines approaching. Quadrant two is on things are important but not urgent. It includes things like personal growth, long term planning and relationship building. Three is on things that are not urgent but important. It includes interruptions, handling other people’s issues and emails. Finally four is on things that are not important and are not urgent. This includes watching TV, social media and down time activities. These are all things we spend time on, but three quadrants are full of distractions while one invests in your future. Quadrant two gives us the greatest impact to our lives, but we spend most of our time in the other three because we’re easily distracted.

We all heard of Samson and how strong he was. From a child, God gave him a set of rules to live by that would set him apart and give him supernatural strength. Over time, he quit living in the area God told him to and started getting distracted. In Judges 14, a woman from an enemy country caught his eye and he wanted to marry her against his parent’s wishes. The Lord used it though. Then he killed a lion which later he ate honey out of going against God’s Laws. In chapter 16 he met Delilah who distracted him and cut off his hair removing his strength. In the end, he prayed and killed more of his enemies on his last day than on all his other days. He was a man whom God could have done so much more with, but he lived a distracted life that minimized the impact he could have had.

In Psalm 119:37 David prayed, “Turn my eyes away from vanity [all those worldly, meaningless things that distract—let Your priorities be mine], And restore me [with renewed energy] in Your ways” (AMP). This is a prayer we all need to pray. Our lives are filled with distractions (some necessary and some unnecessary) that keep us from our purpose. Our eyes and hearts are like Samson’s at times drawing us away from the things God has called us to. We can spend all day doing things, but are simply spinning our tires going nowhere with no impact. We must take time each day to focus on God’s priorities for our life and ask Him for renewed energy like Samson did so we can accomplish all He’s created us to do. Take some time to think about your distractions and then find a way to create some space where you minimize them or remove them from your life so you can spend energy and time on God’s priorities for your future.

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October 19, 2022 · 5:47 AM

Stay Focused

Every one of us have a certain amount of energy for the day. Whether you feel like you have a little today or a lot, that is your 100% for the day. It’s given to you to use so you can get things done. However, there are unexpected things that pop up each day that steal some of that energy. There are also people and distractions that try to rob you of your energy to keep you from getting things done. If we allow them to distract us, they diffuse our energy and keep us from accomplishing all we have to do. Those distractions can last from a few minutes to days or weeks. To keep them from robbing us of our energy, we must remain focused on the job at hand, prioritize our time and refuse to be distracted.

Nehemiah was a man on a mission. Once he heard that the walls of Jerusalem were in shambles, God put it in his heart to rebuild them. Immediately worry came in and tried to rob his energy. How could he leave his job? Where would he get the resources? When the king asked what he needed, he responded and it was all given to him. While he had what he needed now, he needed workers. The people showed up to help build once they caught the vision. Their energy was being poured into the project when two men came to distract them from their work. They tried intimidation, uprisings and lies to diffuse the people’s energy. However, Nehemiah stayed focused and got the work done.

In Nehemiah 6:3 he responded to them, “I am doing important work and can’t go down there. I am not going to let the work stop just to go and see you” (GNT). It’s ok to tell people the word “no”. Even if it’s something worthwhile, good or even helpful. If it is robbing you of your energy to do what God has called you to, it’s a distraction. Use wisdom like Nehemiah did when distractions and intimidators showed up. He prayed, got wisdom from God and then stayed the course. Because of that, the walls of Jerusalem were built in a matter of weeks instead of years. Imagine what God could do through you if you would stay focused and concentrate your energy. Don’t let intimidators, distractions or worry rob you of the energy that God has given you to accomplish His will in your life. When you use godly wisdom and stay focused, God will do His part.

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November 17, 2016 · 5:00 AM

Intimate Conversations 


I like to tell people that I’m the busiest person I know. I carry two phones with three numbers attached to them. I work a full time job, write, do ministry, and drive for Uber at night. I look around though, and see other people who are just as busy. Somehow in our world, we equate busyness with value. The more we do, the greater we are. Even in the Church, we have adopted this mentality with ministers and lay leaders. We are always on the clock, we never take a sabbatical, and we never say “no” to anything or anyone.

That’s not the example Jesus gave us for ministry. Even though He was very busy and sought after, Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer” (NLT). The model He gave us was to step away from our duties often to spend time alone with the Father. He understood that it is not wise to continually give without going to the Father for a refill. As our lives become more busy, our intimate conversations alone with God in our prayer closet should increase.

Revival is coming and we need to be in the habit of stepping aside from all the distractions to spend time alone in prayer. Performing miracles, leading the lost to the cross, caring for the poor, and preaching are not supposed to take the place of our quiet time with God. He wants us to understand that busyness equals distractions and distractions keep us from going into our prayer closet. We can’t have the power of God flowing through us until we have been intimate with Him. God has always valued alone time with Him more than our busyness for Him.

Think of Martha and Mary. Martha was the one who welcomed Jesus into their home and as Luke 10:40 says, “was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing.” Mary was the one who was just sitting at the Lord’s feet listening. When Martha complained that she was doing all the work, the Lord replied, “There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it.” Each of us need to discover what that is as well. We need to take time often to just sit at the feet of Jesus, away from the distractions, and listen. That is what Jesus values and what we should value as well.

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September 9, 2013 · 8:02 AM

Dealing with Distractions

I always seem to get distracted during my prayer time on Monday’s. My mind tries to think through the week ahead starting with the meetings today. I catch myself going down rabbit trails in my mind when I should be praying. It’s hard to concentrate on what I’m reading in the Bible when I’ve got other things popping up in my mind. When I try to be quiet before The Lord, songs, music, thoughts on how to resolve situations and schedules start to cloud my mind. Not to mention, it would be nice to sleep a little longer since it is Monday and the weekend is officially over.

Do you ever go through this? Do you find it hard to keep your mind focused on God when you’re supposed to be spending time with Him? I think most of us do. Our minds are problem solvers and are constantly thinking through how to fix things in our lives. It happens in our prayer times because that’s the only time we’re still enough to let our minds work. We force ourselves to stop and concentrate on God, but our mind has other plans.

If we look in the Gospels, we see that Jesus made it a habit to get away from everything, go off to secluded places and spent time with God. Many of us would love a secluded place just to get away from the kids, noise, obligations, phone calls, text messages and emails! But to spend time with God, we need to find that place to spend with Him, not just to escape our daily life. As a kid, I remember that any morning I got up early, if I went to the living room, I’d find my mom there with her Bible and a cup of coffee. That was her time.

Each of us have different schedules, different obligations and different situations. There’s no one size fits all approach to spending time with God without distractions. I wish there was. Instead, it takes a conscious effort on our part to find that time and place where we can spend uninterrupted time alone with God. It’s up to us to turn off the phone, get away from noisy distractions, find a secluded place and to get alone with God. I struggled for years with this. I didn’t prioritize my time with Him so I allowed the distractions to take over that time.

Now, I’ve made a decision that I won’t let anything interrupt that time. The only time I found on my schedule to do that was my commute to work. When a thought other than one that is God-centered pops in, I check it, push it out and quiet my mind again. I turn the radio off, keep my eyes on the road and treat it as I would if I were having a meeting. Doing these simple things have helped my spiritual life to grow more in the past two years than the previous decades combined. It all started with the decision to make it a priority above everything else.

I’m curious to see how others have found time in their busy schedules to spend time alone with God. What do you do? What best practices do you have that help you stay on track with your quality time with God? How do you keep other thoughts from distracting you? How do you make time when there seems to be none? Please share so that all of us can benefit and find ways to improve our own quiet time with God. If we learn to spend quality time with God, our lives will have more quality.

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March 12, 2013 · 7:48 AM

God’s Distracting Hand

I love my son with everything in me. He’s funny, he’s got a great personality and is always wanting to learn. He loves to show me what he knows and often points things out as we pass them by. At two years old, his world is ever changing and his knowledge is ever increasing. Often when I try to talk to him, he gets distracted and points to something else and starts talking about it. Other times, I try to get his attention, but he’s too involved in what he’s doing to pay attention. I have to put my hand between his eyes and whatever he’s doing so he will look up to see me.

He and I are a lot alike. We’re both easily distracted, visually stimulated and get so engrossed in what we’re doing that the outside world fades away to the point that we can’t hear or see anything outside of what we’re doing. When God tries to speak to me, my mind runs away and I start thinking of the possibilities. I change the subject on Him and point to other things that aren’t a part of the conversation. Other times, I’m so involved in what I’m doing that I fail to hear Him.

He has to put His hand in my way, block my vision and do what it takes to get my attention. When that happens, like my son, I get upset. My stubbornness kicks in and I move around His hand so I can continue doing what I was doing. I even try to move His hand out of the way at times because I’m not thinking about His will, I’m only thinking of my own. I think about what I want to accomplish, not what He wants me to accomplish. His hand in my life often frustrates me.

It really shouldn’t bother me though. As my Heavenly Father, He knows what is best for me. He tries to teach me new things, redirect my attention to what matters and show me what’s important to Him. His will for my life is what is most important and I often ask for His hand to guide me. The funny thing is that I often don’t recognize His hand in my life for what it is. Instead of seeing it as Him pointing to something better, I see it as a nuisance or a problem.

When things are happening in our lives that knock us off our daily routine, I believe that it’s probably God trying to get our attention. He’s putting His hand in front of our face to get our attention off the daily routine and to focus on what He wants. Sure, we have to-do lists and things that must get done. He understands that, but when He needs our attention or tries to speak to us, it’s important to look up and to listen. I’m not there yet. I have a ways to go, but I’m starting to recognize His hand in my life. I’m making a point now to not try and get around His hand, but to stop and give Him my full attention when He intervenes.

What’s going on in your life right now that could be God trying to get your attention? Are you fighting against it or are you stopping what you’re doing so you can pay attention to Him?

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