So I ask you. How can a man concentrate on his classroom lecture when a pretty lady comes by the door tossing in kisses? This is not the first time this has happened. We teach in the same department and her office is next to mine but she waits until I am really holding forth with some important topic and then she strikes. I have to tell you even though we are coming up on our 50th anniversary, it is still very distracting.
Life is full of distractions. When I am in the midst of a task needing concentration a student will stick his head in the door to ask a “quickquestion.” I hear this so often it really needs to be one word instead of two. Though it might only take thirty seconds to respond it takes much longer to mentally return to the task at hand. Our cell phones, iPads and pop ups on computer screens all distract us.
We make a conscious effort to grow spiritually only to be distracted by our children’s needs. There is soccer practice, or whatever, where they need to be delivered. As if there is something innately wrong with quiet, our environment so often is filled with background music; usually music we don’t especially like. The pressures of modern life are one of the biggest distractible foes to personal growth. One of Satan’s most effective tools is hubbub. When we are making really good spiritual progress a committee of Satan’s angels meets to discuss our case. First of their suggestions as to how to thwart us comes, “Just, fill his/her life with lots of responsibilities. They can be good things. It doesn’t matter. Just make it a good distraction.”
Written by Roger Bothwell on June 29, 2011
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org