Distraction leads to Destruction

In last week’s reflection on leadership lessons from the life of Joseph we noted that discouragement is often the devil’s weapon of choice in his quest for us to suppress the greatness that is within.  One of Satan’s other tools is distraction.  If he cannot discourage us, he will seek to distract us.  Satan seeks to draw our attention away from the main thing and turn our attention to mundane things.  Distractions are a great enemy of excellence.  

​In the life of Joseph, Potiphar’s wife attempted to distract Joseph from his purpose and hinder his walk with God (Genesis 39).  Christians should always be aware of the potential for the distraction of improper relationships.  This distraction leads to destruction.  It destroys homes, lives, careers, our influence, and our testimony. 

Distractions can come in many other, often more subtle forms.  These distractions hinder our fruitfulness for the Lord.  They can also hinder our productivity at work.  Our smart phones can be a great distraction.  Think about all of the hours that people spend a year playing games like Bejeweled, Angry Birds, Candy Crush, and Flow Free.  How many times have we gone on social media for “just a minute”, and thirty minutes later we are still
watching videos, liking posts, and scrolling through our timeline?  Now think about how
those hours could have been used to glorify God.  How many people could have been exposed to the gospel of Christ?  How many verses of scripture could we have read?  How much more time could we have spent connecting with God, the church, and the world?  Our hobbies, television, sports, and just the busyness of life also distract us from our purpose. 

​We can minimize the distractions by making our phones inconvenient to access.  Charge it in another room while the family is sharing a meal.  Place it in a drawer in your desk away from you.  Schedule time for personal and family Bible study, volunteering in your community, and other activities that help you connect.  Set aside a limited amount of time for utilizing technology.  Use an alarm to help keep you honest.  What other ways can you think of to help minimize the distractions?  Share them on our Facebook page.