I have viewed distractions as ways to get out of doing something (procrastination at it’s best) or something that prevents me from thinking or dwelling on a topic I don’t want to think about. Basically, I don’t want to think or act upon something so I look to other means to distract myself. However, sometimes these distractions become obsessions or additions when we take them too far. Some of us claim we are having “rest,” but are we really resting if those distractions just numb us from what we need to face? I’ve been reflecting on this lately as my schedule has changed in the month of July. I am taking a break from language school and the ministry I am a part of is closing for a summer break. This means that two of my biggest responsibilities and routine parts of my life no longer exist. What have I done with my time? I found I distracted myself not by finding rest in activities I enjoyed, but rather in activities that numbed my mind. I didn’t need to think and didn’t want to take part in other events happening outside my apartment. Satan fed me lies during this period and I believed them.
After some reflection, I see what Satan was doing and with God’s help I can learn to combat these distractions. Some people might say distractions are good for us once in awhile, but after this experience I have come to the conclusion that they are not. Yes, we should not dwell on negative experiences, unexpected change, or other surprises, but instead of distracting ourselves with numbness (or one can go the other way with busyness, but that wasn’t my experience this time) we should find “rest” in the activities God has placed in our life that we enjoy. My prayer is that we as Christians can see how much God has given us in resources and time and not spend it on mind numbing activities. We can choose to spend our time with others or spend time alone with fruitful benefits. We can choose to help each other not waste the precious time God has given upon this earth.