In today’s world, distractions abound. Phones, social media platforms, sporting events, and advertisements compete for our attention. Once they have our attention, they begin to clamor for our time. Soon, we begin investing large amounts of time on these platforms, at these events, or watching these shows. Yet God has called us to invest the majority of our time in three primary areas:

1. Our relationship with Him.
2. Our relationship with the people in our lives (family, church, friends).
3. Our life of work.[1]

Are we spending the majority of our time investing in these three areas? If not, what distractions keep us from them? There are only twenty four hours in a day, seven days in a week. If we invest time in one place, it inevitably detracts from the time we can spend in another. Too often we become distracted and end up mindlessly investing our time in things that do not matter. Not only do they not matter, but they take time away from the things that do matter. We can’t have our cake and eat it too. That’s why Paul tells us to make the best use of our time (Ephesians 5:15-17).

My phone is undoubtedly my biggest distraction. I am thankful for it because its one of my most-efficient tools. But its efficiency cuts both ways; it is also extremely effective at decreasing my focus, attention span, and productivity. 

So what can I do? If I need to focus at work, I can place it in another room and complete important tasks. If find my phone distracting me from my family, I can leave it upstairs from the time I leave work, check it once before bed, and leave it until the morning. If I find it distracting me from my time with God, I can refuse to check it until I’ve spent adequate time in Bible reading and prayer. 

I’m not a master at avoiding distractions. This post is an exercise in reminding myself of the areas where God calls me to invest my time. It’s a reminder to me that I need to daily battle against distractions in an effort to preserve and enjoy the time God has given me to the fullest. We only have one life to live for God’s glory. We only have so many days, months, and years. May we fight against distractions and invest our lives in the things that really matter, for His glory.

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[1] These three areas were originally mentioned in a short video by Paul David Tripp on social media use. His video is very helpful, and can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3BjE9nwfOE