Redeeming Distractions
Redeeming Distractions
Redeeming Distractions
Redeeming Distractions
Our daily lives are full of distractions. We have a constant stream of alerts, meetings, golf games, book clubs, and countless other things that intrude into our lives and can throw us off track. In this podcast, Howard and Carter discuss which of these distractions can be eliminated and which ones should be redeemed.
Audio Transcript
Our daily lives are full of distractions. We have a constant stream of alerts, texts, calls, meetings, hobbies, events, sports games, desires for money, comfort, power, and countless other things that intrude into our lives and can throw us off track.
These constant distractions have had an effect on us with study after study showing how our ability to focus is decreasing. For many of us, we are so used to being distracted that when we are not distracted, we — sometimes even unconsciously — try to find something to distract us.
This brings us to our question for today.
How do we focus when we are surrounded by distractions? How do we properly evaluate the things in our life that are distractions against those things that are actually helpful to the mission we have been given?
There is no doubt we have distractions, but before we launch into that, stop and consider your purpose in life — your mission, your why. Do you know what mission you are on? Think about that first.
Now, think about the parts of your life that distract you from your mission or purpose, and the parts of your life complement or facilitate your mission or purpose. Understanding what those things are is essential; make a quick calculation in your head of what those things are.
Purpose Matters
The first point is this: Everything in your life is a distraction until you understand your purpose. Everything is one big distraction until you know who you are, what you’ve been given, and why you are here, and how to deploy your gifts. In order to evaluate distractions, you must know why you are here to begin with.
A great example of this is the Memphis Grizzlies. Right now, the Grizzlies are in the first round of the playoffs against the Lakers. Right now, things don’t look so great for the Grizzlies. They don’t look like the team they once were, and have lost sight of their goal to win a championship.
Halfway through the season and just a few days ago in this playoff series, the Grizzlies have distractions both on and off the court. Brantley Davidson and Will Walker from the Grizz Den Podcast, offered us insights into how these distractions throughout the year have impacted the Grizzlies.
Will Walker broke down these distractions into 3 categories: the gameplan, off the court activities, and in the media.
When we get too focused on only playing one way, that can be a distraction. When someone gets in trouble off the court, the team loses focus. And, when someone says something distracting in the media, it impacts how they play. Here is how Will describes how distractions have plagued the Memphis Grizzlies this year.
Will Walker: “On the court, off the court, and in the media, there have been a lot of distractions for this Grizzlies team. However, an important thing to consider is how God can use these distractions in the players' lives.
I describe the NBA, and professional sports generally, as a pressure cooker. Ja Morant is only 23 years old and you could argue he’s already hit rock bottom — we hope he’s already hit rock bottom. He’s had a public wake up call early on in his career. In a few years, he might turn around and talk about how thankful he is for these events because they redirected the course of his life. Who knows, without this happening to Ja, maybe things would have been even worse for him in the future. That’s how I think God can use these distractions in Ja’s life.”
Ja is a great example of how God can use distractions to get us to the end of ourselves and bring us nearer to him. The story isn’t over with Ja, but we hope and pray God uses the events from this season to bring Ja to a fuller understanding of who God is and the purpose God’s given Ja for his life.
To summarize our first point, your purpose matters. Your mission is of the utmost importance, and we need to strip away the things in our lives that keep us from focusing on our main mission.
Some people don’t know their purpose, and all of us tend to forget it. What would you do if you bought a car and weren’t sure if your car operated in a certain way or not? You would find the owners manual and read about how it was designed. In a similar way, human beings also have an owners manual, the Bible. God created you and has given you purpose.
In Genesis 1:26-28, we read that God created us to be co-creators with Him, to subdue the earth, and put everything under His Lordship. In Isaiah 43:10, we read we are witnesses to God’s glory and purposes in our lives. In Mark 12:30-31, we read we are to love God with our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Then, Jesus comes on the seen and makes his disciples fishers of men. He gives them purpose by telling them they will bring people into the kingdom of God. In Matthew 28:18-20, God makes us disciples of all the nations.
On the eve of the resurrection, Jesus passes through the locked doors and says to his disciples, “Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” – John 20:21-22
Peace is the first thing Jesus gives us. Then, by sending us as Jesus was sent by the Father, He gives us purpose. And, God gives us the Holy Spirit, which is the power to complete our mission.
Do you wonder what your purpose is? Jesus’ purpose was to reconcile all things to Himself — to redeem humanity and make us one with Him — and, in a similar way, Jesus calls us to go and do likewise. This is called making disciples. What are the ways you are making God known to others?
Say No Or Delegate
The only way to create more space for what is important in your life is by either saying no or delegating. These are your only options and if you don’t have anyone who works for you, you can only say no.
The quantity of our no’s increases the quality of our yes’. The more things we keep ourselves from getting entangled in, the more we can stay focused on our mission. So, which things are you going to say no to?
In Paul’s final letter to Timothy, he is encouraging him and giving him instructions for what to do.
“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” – 2 Timothy 2:1-7
Like Timothy, there are people in our lives and workplaces that we have been entrusted to share truth with who can turn around and share that truth with more people. However, we get distracted from this mission. Paul frames this in terms of a soldier getting distracted by civilian affairs, and we do the same thing. We get all caught up, kind of like the Grizzlies did this season, in trivial distractions. These distractions can be hunting, sports, work, reading, and a million other things.
We need a way to know whether something is a distraction and if it is, whether or not it needs to be removed from our life.
Does It Involve People?
Does the potential distraction involve people? If your potential distraction involves people, consider redeeming it instead of eliminating it.
To say it the other way, if your distraction is all about yourself — mindless scrolling, binging Netflix alone, or something that isn’t done with or in some way benefiting others. If you are doing something by yourself, exclusively for yourself, and are not getting to know God better by doing it, consider eliminating that distraction.
If, on the other hand, it involves people, you might want to find a way to redeem that activity. For example, taking a walk around the neighborhood can be a great way to get to know and love your neighbors. Over time, after many walks and conversations, you will be able to pour into their life in a unique way that you wouldn’t have been otherwise able to do.
3 Examples
Here are 3 quick examples of distractions that can be redeemed or eliminated.
First, there is your golf game. Some time ago, Randy Pope — an evangelist from Atlanta — came to Memphis and talked about how much he loves to play golf and tennis. Over time, he felt convicted about all the time he was spending playing golf and tennis, and he felt God pushing him to use golf and tennis to love others.
This talk by Randy Pope came at a perfect time in my life for it to have an impact. I had a close group of friends that I played golf with all the time, and I chose to try and redeem that golf game. I prayed for my friends who I golfed with, and over time, I started to see my friends differently. I went from seeing them as my source of entertainment to people made in God’s image who needed to be prayed for and cared for. This permanently changed how I play golf.
Over time, many of them became passionate followers of Jesus. It was incredible to watch how God redeemed my golf game. If God was able to use my golf game, I’m sure he can use yours too.
A second example is work. For most of us, our main distraction in life is work. Most of us spend between 40-60 hours at work and we get stuck thinking work is about money, power, prestige, etc. All those things are very distracting from what work is really about — the people. And, most of us cannot eliminate work altogether, much less switch jobs. So we have to find a way to redeem it.
Before you consider moving companies, stop and start loving on the people God has put you with. Your workplace is the place you are sent today. You are sent to love your clients and coworkers by caring for their needs. To redeem your work, start with prayer. Pray for your coworkers by name every day. Pray that you would have opportunities to care for them and share Jesus with them. God will open doors for you, and you will find so much more joy in your work when you dial in on your true mission for work.
A third example is safety. Many people are concerned about safety in Memphis. We’ve covered this topic at length in some of our previous articles and podcasts, but when we are hyper-focused on our safety, that is a distraction. The more we focus on safety, the more we look at the stats. The more we look at the stats, the more scared we become.
If you are trying to isolate yourself from communities that have extreme poverty, you are headed in the wrong direction. Jesus moved right into the brokenness of the world, met people where they were, provided for their needs, and gave them hope for eternal life with him. What do you think is the biggest problem in Memphis? What is causing that problem? Whatever that cause is, move into it.
The problems in our city, that often distract us, are actually an opportunity to care for others. If you think education is the problem, go tutor a child. If you think criminal activity is the problem, go be a role model to a young man or woman.
So pray about the things in your life that are distractions. Ask God to help you redeem them, and watch how God transforms you and those around you in the process.
Resources
Memphis – Should I Stay Or Should I Go?
Feeling Unsafe Or Overwhelmed By Crime? God's Word Has Practical Answers
2 Timothy 2:1-7
John 20:21-22
Audio Transcript
Our daily lives are full of distractions. We have a constant stream of alerts, texts, calls, meetings, hobbies, events, sports games, desires for money, comfort, power, and countless other things that intrude into our lives and can throw us off track.
These constant distractions have had an effect on us with study after study showing how our ability to focus is decreasing. For many of us, we are so used to being distracted that when we are not distracted, we — sometimes even unconsciously — try to find something to distract us.
This brings us to our question for today.
How do we focus when we are surrounded by distractions? How do we properly evaluate the things in our life that are distractions against those things that are actually helpful to the mission we have been given?
There is no doubt we have distractions, but before we launch into that, stop and consider your purpose in life — your mission, your why. Do you know what mission you are on? Think about that first.
Now, think about the parts of your life that distract you from your mission or purpose, and the parts of your life complement or facilitate your mission or purpose. Understanding what those things are is essential; make a quick calculation in your head of what those things are.
Purpose Matters
The first point is this: Everything in your life is a distraction until you understand your purpose. Everything is one big distraction until you know who you are, what you’ve been given, and why you are here, and how to deploy your gifts. In order to evaluate distractions, you must know why you are here to begin with.
A great example of this is the Memphis Grizzlies. Right now, the Grizzlies are in the first round of the playoffs against the Lakers. Right now, things don’t look so great for the Grizzlies. They don’t look like the team they once were, and have lost sight of their goal to win a championship.
Halfway through the season and just a few days ago in this playoff series, the Grizzlies have distractions both on and off the court. Brantley Davidson and Will Walker from the Grizz Den Podcast, offered us insights into how these distractions throughout the year have impacted the Grizzlies.
Will Walker broke down these distractions into 3 categories: the gameplan, off the court activities, and in the media.
When we get too focused on only playing one way, that can be a distraction. When someone gets in trouble off the court, the team loses focus. And, when someone says something distracting in the media, it impacts how they play. Here is how Will describes how distractions have plagued the Memphis Grizzlies this year.
Will Walker: “On the court, off the court, and in the media, there have been a lot of distractions for this Grizzlies team. However, an important thing to consider is how God can use these distractions in the players' lives.
I describe the NBA, and professional sports generally, as a pressure cooker. Ja Morant is only 23 years old and you could argue he’s already hit rock bottom — we hope he’s already hit rock bottom. He’s had a public wake up call early on in his career. In a few years, he might turn around and talk about how thankful he is for these events because they redirected the course of his life. Who knows, without this happening to Ja, maybe things would have been even worse for him in the future. That’s how I think God can use these distractions in Ja’s life.”
Ja is a great example of how God can use distractions to get us to the end of ourselves and bring us nearer to him. The story isn’t over with Ja, but we hope and pray God uses the events from this season to bring Ja to a fuller understanding of who God is and the purpose God’s given Ja for his life.
To summarize our first point, your purpose matters. Your mission is of the utmost importance, and we need to strip away the things in our lives that keep us from focusing on our main mission.
Some people don’t know their purpose, and all of us tend to forget it. What would you do if you bought a car and weren’t sure if your car operated in a certain way or not? You would find the owners manual and read about how it was designed. In a similar way, human beings also have an owners manual, the Bible. God created you and has given you purpose.
In Genesis 1:26-28, we read that God created us to be co-creators with Him, to subdue the earth, and put everything under His Lordship. In Isaiah 43:10, we read we are witnesses to God’s glory and purposes in our lives. In Mark 12:30-31, we read we are to love God with our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Then, Jesus comes on the seen and makes his disciples fishers of men. He gives them purpose by telling them they will bring people into the kingdom of God. In Matthew 28:18-20, God makes us disciples of all the nations.
On the eve of the resurrection, Jesus passes through the locked doors and says to his disciples, “Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” – John 20:21-22
Peace is the first thing Jesus gives us. Then, by sending us as Jesus was sent by the Father, He gives us purpose. And, God gives us the Holy Spirit, which is the power to complete our mission.
Do you wonder what your purpose is? Jesus’ purpose was to reconcile all things to Himself — to redeem humanity and make us one with Him — and, in a similar way, Jesus calls us to go and do likewise. This is called making disciples. What are the ways you are making God known to others?
Say No Or Delegate
The only way to create more space for what is important in your life is by either saying no or delegating. These are your only options and if you don’t have anyone who works for you, you can only say no.
The quantity of our no’s increases the quality of our yes’. The more things we keep ourselves from getting entangled in, the more we can stay focused on our mission. So, which things are you going to say no to?
In Paul’s final letter to Timothy, he is encouraging him and giving him instructions for what to do.
“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” – 2 Timothy 2:1-7
Like Timothy, there are people in our lives and workplaces that we have been entrusted to share truth with who can turn around and share that truth with more people. However, we get distracted from this mission. Paul frames this in terms of a soldier getting distracted by civilian affairs, and we do the same thing. We get all caught up, kind of like the Grizzlies did this season, in trivial distractions. These distractions can be hunting, sports, work, reading, and a million other things.
We need a way to know whether something is a distraction and if it is, whether or not it needs to be removed from our life.
Does It Involve People?
Does the potential distraction involve people? If your potential distraction involves people, consider redeeming it instead of eliminating it.
To say it the other way, if your distraction is all about yourself — mindless scrolling, binging Netflix alone, or something that isn’t done with or in some way benefiting others. If you are doing something by yourself, exclusively for yourself, and are not getting to know God better by doing it, consider eliminating that distraction.
If, on the other hand, it involves people, you might want to find a way to redeem that activity. For example, taking a walk around the neighborhood can be a great way to get to know and love your neighbors. Over time, after many walks and conversations, you will be able to pour into their life in a unique way that you wouldn’t have been otherwise able to do.
3 Examples
Here are 3 quick examples of distractions that can be redeemed or eliminated.
First, there is your golf game. Some time ago, Randy Pope — an evangelist from Atlanta — came to Memphis and talked about how much he loves to play golf and tennis. Over time, he felt convicted about all the time he was spending playing golf and tennis, and he felt God pushing him to use golf and tennis to love others.
This talk by Randy Pope came at a perfect time in my life for it to have an impact. I had a close group of friends that I played golf with all the time, and I chose to try and redeem that golf game. I prayed for my friends who I golfed with, and over time, I started to see my friends differently. I went from seeing them as my source of entertainment to people made in God’s image who needed to be prayed for and cared for. This permanently changed how I play golf.
Over time, many of them became passionate followers of Jesus. It was incredible to watch how God redeemed my golf game. If God was able to use my golf game, I’m sure he can use yours too.
A second example is work. For most of us, our main distraction in life is work. Most of us spend between 40-60 hours at work and we get stuck thinking work is about money, power, prestige, etc. All those things are very distracting from what work is really about — the people. And, most of us cannot eliminate work altogether, much less switch jobs. So we have to find a way to redeem it.
Before you consider moving companies, stop and start loving on the people God has put you with. Your workplace is the place you are sent today. You are sent to love your clients and coworkers by caring for their needs. To redeem your work, start with prayer. Pray for your coworkers by name every day. Pray that you would have opportunities to care for them and share Jesus with them. God will open doors for you, and you will find so much more joy in your work when you dial in on your true mission for work.
A third example is safety. Many people are concerned about safety in Memphis. We’ve covered this topic at length in some of our previous articles and podcasts, but when we are hyper-focused on our safety, that is a distraction. The more we focus on safety, the more we look at the stats. The more we look at the stats, the more scared we become.
If you are trying to isolate yourself from communities that have extreme poverty, you are headed in the wrong direction. Jesus moved right into the brokenness of the world, met people where they were, provided for their needs, and gave them hope for eternal life with him. What do you think is the biggest problem in Memphis? What is causing that problem? Whatever that cause is, move into it.
The problems in our city, that often distract us, are actually an opportunity to care for others. If you think education is the problem, go tutor a child. If you think criminal activity is the problem, go be a role model to a young man or woman.
So pray about the things in your life that are distractions. Ask God to help you redeem them, and watch how God transforms you and those around you in the process.
Resources
Memphis – Should I Stay Or Should I Go?
Feeling Unsafe Or Overwhelmed By Crime? God's Word Has Practical Answers
2 Timothy 2:1-7
John 20:21-22