Distractions

Sometimes I feel like my life is just filled with a bunch of pointless distractions that turn my focus away from Christ. Anyone else feel this way?

I'll give you some examples. Back when I had my iPhone...I had allowed that thing to become so important to me. I made excuses by saying things like: "Well, I have my kindle app on it that allows me to read my bible." Or I also had an app that I could use to actually study the bible more deeply. These were very good things...but the distractions it caused were just too great...they completely outweighed the benefits. Now, am I saying that iPhones are evil? Of course not...owning one becomes a problem when you allow it to become an idol.

Also...I have this terrible habit of buying computers games when I get bored. Computers games aren't all bad...but when you stay up every night till midnight playing them for hours...then it becomes a problem. In the last three weeks I have bought three video games, and with each of them I threw them away when I realized they had become idols. You would think I would have learned after the first one, that I probably shouldn't buy video games right? I wish that were the case. So here I go...wasting money, and spending less, and less time with God. When will I learn?

I just threw another one away this morning...and as of right now, I don't own a single video game. I'm hoping to keep it that way. I just have one of those personalities where I get hooked on things really easily. Here's an idea for myself...how about getting hooked on Christ? I know that sounds funny...but I think we as Christians should live like that. Just have our mind stayed on Christ at all times...in constant communion with our Lord. The video games don't satisfy...only Christ can fully satisfy our needs.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.
Isaiah 26:3 & 4

I would just encourage everyone to just look at your life, and try to purge it of anything that might be keeping you from spending more time with God. I'm not saying we should go as far as to not spend any time with friends, or family, or doing fun things, and just sit alone reading our bible and praying all the time. We just need to have a proper balance. Never allow anything in our life to become more important than Christ.

I hope and pray that this post might be a blessing to all who read it.

Comments

Amanda said…
Amen. Thanks for that balanced view - some people *will* go so far as to say that such things as iPhones are bad; in reality, it is nothing in itself, but in how we use it and how we view it. ANYTHING can become an idol if we let it. "If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1).
Bethany said…
Great thought Jason!
bella_bella said…
Jason,I totaly agree with your post
Iphones are a big distraction, you are very right, I also think that with the Iphone teeneagers have way to mach access to restricted site and guess what, apple doesn`t even have any filtering or parental control,so the sites can be blocked. So yes, I would not recommend an Iphone to kids or teenagers, or someone trying to stay close to Christ.
Yuri Richardson said…
Jason,

I totally agree with you on this post; and your decision to cut off your right hand [spiritually] (because it offends you). Better to into into life with one arm than the whole body be cast into hell. I allow myself to become distracted at times also. But we most learn not to allow the enemy to do this to us. I agree totally with your Scripture antidotes to this problem as well. We have a Heaven to gain and a hell to shun. You know this more than most of us but we are in a battle. And that battle is for our souls. We must have the armor on at ALL times. Our only safety in these perilous times in Yahusha and His Love. We'll have plenty of time in eternity to purse our interest and have lots of fun; but for now we need to be sober and vigilant.

Thanks for your post,

YHWH bless you
Caleb said…
Thanks, Jason for this post. I'm the same way, it is so easy to get hooked on something! There are so many distractions in this world that Satan is using to try to take our minds off God. This post has got me to thinking what idols I may have in my life...