Psalm 19:14 / ESV
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
I have ADHD. I was diagnosed when I was 19, so it's not something I ever had the chance to grow out of. I know what it is like to be distracted.
On the other side, I also know what it is like to be so focused like a laser that you get more done in 30 minutes than many can get done in two hours. If you know much about ADHD, you know that it is not about never having any focus, it is about only having two modes: laser-focus or no-focus. There is no (or there is very little) middle ground.
All of this is to say that we do not have to participate in the Grand Distraction that our world continually throws at us. But what is this Grand Distraction, and how can we know when we're being hit with it?
The Grand Distraction is all the stuff that encourages us to be anywhere but here. TV, Ads, Facebook, Smartphones, etc are not the Grand Distraction. They are merely the tools of it. And just like a hammer, a knife, or a gun, these tools can be used for good or evil. Unfortunately, it seems like good is on the losing side of the fight against distraction.
I saw a blog post after beginning this (link at bottom) that describes it well. They even called it The Grand Distraction:
And every day, the world will drag you by the hand, yelling "This is important! And this is important! And this is important! You need to worry about this! And this! And this!"
And each day, it's up to you, to yank your hand back, put it on your heart and say "No. This is what's important."
The world wants us to believe it is important. The world wants us to believe it is important whether Beyonce lip-synched, or that Kim Kardashian is pregnant or that Michelle Obama has "great arms". It will go to any length to tell us that how much we make, or what we wear or what kind of car we drive is important. It will do anything in its power to make us believe that what it has to offer is important.
It is all a lie.
The truth is this:
Whether you belong to God or not is important. How you treat your family and friends is important. How you treat strangers, the homeless, orphans, the elderly, and widows is important. Who you try and save by bringing them to Christ is important. Your relationship with God and the people around you is important.
What does this have to do with time? Everything. Distraction takes us away from the truth and from what is truly important. When that distraction overwhelms us, we will quickly find that we have no time for anything else. There will be no time for friends, no time for family, no time for helping others, and no time for God. What is important will be replaced with every Facebook update, every text message, every tabloid newscast, every distraction.
So begin cutting out the distractions in your life. Start small, then move to bigger and bigger things. Don't answer the phone during dinner, don't check out texts while with your kids. Set a certain time to look at Facebook and only do it then. Watch less TV. Have more family time. Get out and look for someone you can help out, or make up your own way to move forward. But cut out the distractions so you can see the truth instead. Distractions will not save you, complete you, or make you feel whole. There is only one thing that can do that, and that is the truth that comes from God.
So move forward! Begin right now, and don't give up no matter what! As always, remember to pray. We will help each other the most by starting there.
Source:
http://www.iwrotethisforyou.me/search?q=the+grand+distraction
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