The woman was scrolling through her Facebook feed while driving.

And she wasn’t just sitting at a red light either.  It was after dark so I could clearly see what was on her oversized smart phone.   It’s not like she was dialing 911 to report an accident, or was using GPS because she was lost.  It was Facebook, people….FACEBOOK.

This isn’t a personal rant against phone use while driving.   This incident did, however, remind me of the dozens of ridiculous distractions we face every day.

For followers of Jesus, distractions can be quite costly.

Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.  – Proverbs 4:25

I’ve experienced this in my own life just this past week.   I love my early morning habit of reading God’s Word and meditating in prayer.  It just creates a solid kickstart to my day.  It frames my thought life.  Well, that didn’t happen for 3 consecutive days this week (insert pouty face).

Why?

I’ll give you one guess.  Distractions!  Gmail…Evernote…social media…my task list…incoming texts and random thoughts.  Why did these things keep me from the most important habit of my day?  Because I allowed them to.  I could have (and usually do) taken measures to guarantee this didn’t happen, but I didn’t.  Call it being lazy or losing focus.  The fact is I didn’t make it a priority on those days.

Where are you losing focus?

• Your marriage
• Work
• Personal goals

Recognize what is distracting you.

• Screen time (internet and T.V.)
• Voices around you
• Unhealthy habits
• Negative influences
• Lack of sleep

Once we have figured these things out we can start making appropriate changes.  This might involve better time management, reading a book on a specific subject, or limiting the time we spend around certain people.

What does this look like for you?  Join the discussion below.  I’d love to hear from you.