“Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants…The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.” – Luke 8:7,14 NLT
A significant obstacle to achieving spiritual growth is distraction. In today’s passage, Jesus identifies three of life’s biggest distractions (and, when Jesus spoke these words, social media hadn’t even been invented yet): cares, riches, and pleasures.
More than two thousand years later, we’re still dealing with distractions.
Case in point, recently I was hanging out with family and friends when I got an important phone call. The room was so noisy, I had to step out to take the call. As I tried to listen to the person on the other end of the line, some construction workers began digging on our street. I went upstairs to my room, only to find my kids playing in there. Things were so chaotic I had to finally ask the person who called if I could call them back.
Sometimes we do this to our Heavenly Father, don’t we? We allow other things to take precedence over connecting with Him.
If you want to grow in your relationship with God, you need to minimize the distractions in your life—at least the ones you can readily control. Limit your time on social media. Instead of grabbing your phone first thing in the morning to scroll through your feed, grab your Bible and spend the first few minutes of your day in God’s Word. Say “no” to more activities so you can say “yes” to more family time. Set boundaries around the relationships and noise that negatively influence your spiritual life.
Listen, God wants to talk to you. Don’t put Him on hold. Reign in the distractions that are pulling you away from listening to and following your heavenly Father.
DIg Deeper:
- Of the three distractions Jesus identified in today’s passage—cares, riches, and pleasures—which one is causing the most problems in your life right now?
- How can you take control of those distractions this week?
- What’s one practical way you can limit distracting social media usage this week?
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