It Starts Small

Allowing the “worries of this life,” the relentless pursuit of wealth, or the lure of excessive entertainment to overwhelm your moments with God renders your heart barren and diminishes your relationship with Him to an afterthought. God’s Word fervently warns us that these distractions and the chaos of busyness can gnaw away at our connection with Him, morphing into idols that overshadow His presence in our lives, effectively “choking” out His Word, stifling our prayers, and leading us into a spiral of spiritual fatigue and anxiety.

Key Scriptural Principles

Idolatry: When a person’s schedule crowds out time for God, these demands can become idols (Exodus 20:3).

Choking the Word: Jesus’ Parable of the Sower describes how “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Mark 4:19; Matthew 13:22).

Hindered Prayer and Intimacy: Busyness leaves little room for the stillness needed to hear God’s voice (Psalm 46:10).

Spiritual Ineffectiveness: Busyness can lead to spiritual fatigue, hindering believers from fulfilling their purpose (1 Peter 5:8).

Anxiety and Worry: Often linked to anxiety, busyness can replace God’s peace with reliance on personal effort (Matthew 11:28; Philippians 4:6-7).

Prioritizing the Temporary over the Eternal: A distracted life focuses on “earthly things” rather than “things above” (Colossians 3:2). 

Scriptural Example: Mary and Martha

The story in Luke 10:38-42 illustrates this point. Martha was “distracted by all the preparations that had to be made,” while Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet listening”. Jesus stated that Mary had “chosen what is better”. This example highlights that even good activities can become distractions if they displace time with God. 

According to God’s Word, navigating through distractions and the whirlwind of busyness demands fierce intentionality, unwavering discipline, and a heartfelt decision to elevate “the one thing that is necessary”: our profound relationship with God.

Here are the biblical steps to deal with distractions and busyness:

1. “Seek First His Kingdom” (Matthew 6:33-34)

The core principle is an issue of priority. Jesus provides clear guidance to counteract anxiety and busyness: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

Action: Evaluate your schedule and commitments to ensure God is the priority, not the leftover time slot. This may involve saying “no” to otherwise “good” activities that distract from the best thing: time with God. 

2. “Be Still and Know” (Psalm 46:10)

Busyness thrives on noise and constant motion. God calls for intentional stillness to be in His presence.

Action: Carve out dedicated, quiet time each day, free from your phone, email, or other interruptions, to be present with God in prayer and meditation. 

3. “Throw Off Everything That Hinders” (Hebrews 12:1)

The Bible encourages believers to identify and remove hindrances that easily entangle them.

Action: Take an audit of your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what is distracting you (e.g., social media, excessive TV, certain relationships, an over-scheduled calendar). Be disciplined in putting boundaries or removing these distractions. 

4. “Redeeming the Time” (Ephesians 5:16)

Paul urges believers to “make the most of every opportunity” (or “redeem the time”) because the days are evil. This means using time wisely for God’s purposes, not just filling it with activity. 

Action: Plan your time intentionally. Transform ordinary moments into sacred spaces—turn your commute into prayer time, or listen to a sermon while doing chores. 

5. “Renewing Your Mind” (Romans 12:2)

The world encourages busyness as a sign of importance. Combating this requires a transformed perspective through God’s Word.

Action: Daily immerse yourself in the Bible to align your thinking with God’s will. Meditation on Scripture helps you discern what is truly important in an age of constant noise. 

6. Seek Accountability (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Living the Christian life in isolation makes it easier to fall into the trap of busyness. Fellowship and accountability are crucial for encouragement and staying on track.

Action: Connect with a mature Christian mentor or small group who can help you evaluate your priorities and encourage you to focus on God’s calling. 

By intentionally choosing “the better part”—prioritizing communion with Christ above frantic service—you can overcome the destructive nature of busyness and distraction. 

Deeper Introspection:

Here are introspective journal prompts, rooted in biblical principles, to help you examine busyness and distractions in your life and challenge you to cultivate a focused, God-centered life:

Prompts for Discovery and Reflection

• The “Martha” Check (Luke 10:38-42): What am I “anxious and troubled about many things” right now? What are the “good” activities that are currently preventing me from choosing “the better part” of sitting at Jesus’ feet?
• The Sower’s Soil (Mark 4:19): What specific “worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things” are currently choking the Word of God in my life? How have these distractions made my faith “unfruitful”?
• Auditing My Time: Conduct a time audit of a typical weekday. Where does my time actually go? Is the amount of time spent on essential God-honoring activities reflective of my claim that God is my top priority?
• The “Need” for Noise (Psalm 46:10): Do I feel uncomfortable with silence or solitude? What is my immediate instinct when I have a spare moment (e.g., check my phone, turn on music/TV)? What am I trying to avoid hearing by staying busy?
• The Idolatry of “Busy”: In what ways do I wear my busyness as a badge of honor or self-worth? Am I more concerned with appearing productive to others than being spiritually present with God?
• Rest and Renewal (Matthew 11:28): Jesus offers rest, but I am often weary. What burdens am I unnecessarily carrying myself because I have not taken the time to lay them at His feet?
• Spiritual Hunger: Am I more spiritually fatigued than I am physically tired? If so, what is feeding my soul, and what is exhausting it?

Prompts for Challenge and Action

• The “One Thing” (Psalm 27:4): The Psalmist desired one thing: to dwell in the house of the Lord. What is one practical change I can make to ensure my “one thing” is my pursuit of God this week?
• Creating “Margin” (Ephesians 5:16): I am called to “redeem the time.” Where is the “margin” (blank space) in my calendar? How can I intentionally build in periods of rest, silence, and focused time with God this week?
• The “No” Challenge (Matthew 5:37): What is one activity, meeting, or commitment that I need to say “no” to this week to create space for my spiritual health? Write down how you plan to say no graciously but firmly.
• Digital Detox: What digital distractions consume the most time? What is one specific boundary I will set with my phone or social media this week (e.g., no phones during meal times, no social media after 8 PM)?
• Prioritizing the Eternal: Look at tomorrow’s schedule. What activities on that list have eternal value, and which are merely temporary tasks? How can I re-prioritize to focus more on the eternal?
• Prayer as a Priority: Write a commitment to make prayer the first thing you do each morning, before checking your phone or email. What is your simple plan to make this a habit?
• The Next Right Step: Instead of trying to fix everything at once, what is the single most important next step I need to take to reduce busyness and distractions? Write a prayer asking for the discipline to stick to this one step.

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