Definition of Distraction
- A thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else.
- Extreme agitation of the mind or emotions.
Be sensible, watch, because your adversary the Devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking someone he may devour.
1 Peter 5:8 (HRB)
making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil. Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the YAHWEH is.
Ephesians 5:16-17 – (AMP)
Our enemy Satan (Ha-Satan) and his fellow fallen angels (Revelation 12:3-9), known as demons, intentionally create distractions in our lives. The ultimate aim of these distractions is to prevent us from focusing on YAHWEH and keeping our minds and lives occupied with anything other than Him. Although these distractions may be subtle, they are highly effective in diverting our attention away from the narrow path.
The good news is that many of these distractions surrounding us are in our hands to control. But, sadly, the overgrown and continuously growing appetite for sin in our societies is connected with our sinful nature, which is unconcerned with the evil of this wicked world. Therefore, we fall for and enjoy many of the distractions.
Some of the worst distractions are the ones that distort our time perception, like binge-watching TV, internet surfing, video game playing, social media browsing, chasing money, etc. These distractions increase our dopamine levels, which clouds our brain and lulls it to sleep with false pleasure and rewards. When overwhelmed or simply indulgent with these distractions, we become oblivious to the time passing by, lost in these distractions for hours. Stuck bingeing on hours of mind-dulling distractions that occupy large amounts of our time, leaving little to no time for YAHWEH.
Imagine what our relationship with YAHWEH would be like if we would binge on Him and His Word the way we binge on other things. Netflix and other streaming services have implemented a function that will automatically play the next episode or offer a button to do so. This feature guarantees that as soon as an episode concludes, the next one will immediately begin playing with just the press of a button or automatically. Can we, as (BBBs) Bible Believing Believers, adopt a similar approach when reading the Bible or other Biblical texts? Can we allow the joy of reading the Word of YAHWEH to overwhelm us and push us or influence us into a Netflix mentality of not “Next Episode,” but Next Verse, Next Chapter, or Next Book in the Bible?
As BBBs, we should:
- Binge on Reading the Word of YAHWEH (Joshua 1:8)
- Binge on Praying to the Father (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
- Binge on spreading the Good News of Yahshua to others (Matthew 28:19–20)
- Binge on praising and worshipping YAHWEH (Psalms 34:1)
- Binge on being K’doshim, Holy, Set Apart (1 Peter 1:15–16.)
Other Distractions
There are additional distractions that are more noticeable or easily acknowledgeable than the ones previously mentioned. As individuals, we will often find ourselves facing various distractions that can be beyond our control. These distractions may include personal issues within our families, Financial issues, health problems or illnesses, business-related matters, and interpersonal conflicts with others. What separates these distractions from others is that they come with emotional attachment, such as depression, doubt, anger, loneliness, sadness, anxiety, shame, fear, hopelessness, and more.
In “How is your Study Life? Pt. 1,” we learned about one of Ha-Satan’s favorite battlefields, the human mind. Our feelings are laid out all across this battlefield. These feelings can be overwhelming, and Ha-Satan uses them to isolate you from Father and to push you further into the distraction. If you are not careful, you can get so caught up in these feelings that you start to blame, hate, curse, or worst, forget all about YAHWEH, the very one who can and will provide the help you need.
Even though we try to manage these distractions as best as possible, they still impact our relationship with YAHWEH. Therefore, it is essential to give them careful consideration and attention to prevent them from adversely affecting our walk with YAHWEH. So, in turn, we need to allow these types of distractions to push us closer to YAHWEH rather than away.
So let’s binge on YAHWEH and get lost in Him. Let’s create an obsession with YAHWEH and allow Him to order the steps of our lives! I implore you to remove the distractions and focus on Him. As you study the Bible and you get to the end of the chapter, go to the next chapter, and the next chapter, just like we do on Netflix, next episode, next episode, next episode. #YAHWEHObsessed
And I say this for your benefit, not that I put a snare or put a yoke on you, but I exhort you to be perfect before the Master, and faithful without DISTRACTION.
1 Corinthians 7:35
And the cares of this world and the deception of riches and the rest of the lusts enter in and choke the word and it becomes without fruit.
Mark 4:19
thank you for this reminder to not get distracted all glory to YAHWEH