There’s a line in a popular country song that says, “Same checks we’re always cashing, to buy a little more distraction.” That slaps me in the face every single time I hear it.
How true is that line? How STUFF driven we are as human beings! There’s never enough. What about the ever popular “retail therapy” we all laugh about. Let’s not forget the sudden craze this last Christmas over a popular cup that’s been pushed by influencers.
How many cups of “Starbies” do we need to be happy? How many Target runs does it take to take the edge off our depression? Do we really need more shoes?
I’m not saying participating in any of these activities is bad. But when we use these distractions as a source of joy, the results are only temporary and leave us lacking.
We’ve heard pastors from behind the pulpit say for years that, “We are a microwave society.” They aren’t wrong. We want something that will bring us quick results. Retail therapy brings instant gratification. It feels good to go get another latte and sip it while walking through the market. Those throw pillows you picked up for the couch are so pretty- but they will just be thrown in the floor by the kids. That cute new lamp looked just like that more expensive one your favorite influencer just posted this morning! But, it will be broken by a ball- just like the last one was. The organizational bins you’re eyeing while you sip your coffee are on sale. But you know the last ones you bought are still in the linen closet waiting to be used.
While the rush of serotonin we get from purchasing these treasures make us feel better right then, that feeling is fleeting when you go to pay the bills and come up short on the power bill because of your retail therapy. This often starts a cycle of abusive self talk.
“Why can everyone else afford this stuff and I can’t?”
“What is wrong with me? Why can’t I save money?”
Did you know that distraction is a form of temptation? When we are looking for something to help us with our depression, our pain, or just our state of overwhelm, we should look to the Lord. He can fill us in ways none of these temporary things can. However, some of these things are often so shiny and nice, they can easily distract us from where our focus should be. We are often tempted instead to turn our focus from Jesus to something insignificant-like shopping.
And not just shopping- but the mindless scrolling on our phone. Watching everyone else having a seemingly perfect life (with the perfect throw pillows perfectly in place on their white linen couch), brings about even more dissatisfaction in our present situations.
1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
What if we begin to think about what true joy looks like? The only joy that is truly lasting is the joy we find in the Lord. That joy has no bad side effects, it isn’t temporary, it doesn’t stop us from paying our bills, and it starts to reframe the way we speak to ourselves.
Easier said than done though, right? As avid partakers in ‘instant gratification’, how do we begin to turn our attention from distractions of this world to things that are eternal in Christ?
Sometimes, you just need a plan- a plan to spend more time with God.
Let’s be honest. At first, walking out this new plan might be less than ‘fun’. You may already have a time you devote to spending with God, but still leave feeling like you’re lacking. Sometimes we can be in a season where spending this time can seem more like a chore than the true relationship connection it was meant to be. However, deep down, our souls long for this intimate relationship with our creator. He also desires for us to spend time with Him.
This plan may take some work to become a daily habit for you. Are you a person of strict routine? You’ll have to remold your schedule to work this time in. Are you spontaneous? You’ll need to carve this time out daily, even if it’s at a different time every day.
The part that seems most impossible? Getting quite. Especially with kids! Jesus himself often went to solitary places to pray (Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12). You may have too many responsibilities at home to get away- so you’ll have to find more creative ways to shut out the noise of the day to spend this quiet time with God.
Next time you’re tempted to grab your keys and go shopping (or pick up your phone to scroll for way too long) because you’re feeling less than stellar, try this instead.
- Pray: Firstly, tell the Lord where you are: mentally, physically, etc. He longs to hear from us about the details of our lives. Doesn’t it make you happy when your children come to you to talk? Philippians 4:6-7
- Spend time with the Lord: The Bible tells us that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Find a place you can sit and spend a little time time with Jesus. Tell Him about what is going on, like in #1, then have a quiet space you can go to listen for Him to respond. We all need to get to a place where we are able to spend time with the Lord on a consistent basis. The more time we spend with Him, the more true joy we will experience. James 4:8
- Read the Word: God tells us to hide His words in our heart. Imagine if you began to read and memorize scripture, and you came under spiritual attack. If you’ve got His word hidden in your heart (and memorized), you always have truth available to fire back at the enemy. Sometimes our greatest enemy can be our own minds. If you have truth readily available, you can take captive the negative self talk making you feel bad, and fight it with the truth of what God says in His word. Psalms 119:10-13
- Praise: God inhabits the praise of His people. It’s true that we live in His presence, but he lavishes love on us in a miraculous way when we praise Him. Feeling down or depressed? Play worship music where ever you are. Kids acting wild? Put on some praise music you can all dance to to get the wiggles out. Psalm 22:3
Let’s be realistic. Life is hard. Life is LOUD (Especially with kids!). Sometimes, we just want to escape from it and have some quiet time to ourselves. Sometimes our craving for distraction is really a craving to get out of the busy of our day and our mind and spend time with Him.
God doesn’t expect perfection. He just wants you to spend time with Him. Start with small steps…
Still want to go shopping? I invite you to start making a plan today. Do something to celebrate starting this journey of spending more time with Jesus- buy a new journal, or some sticky notes you can put up around the house as reminders of His desire to spend time with you. Buy a new coffee cup that you only use while you’re spending time on this new plan. Grab some new pens to take notes with about what God is speaking to you.
Still hard to put down your device? Download a Bible app (such as You Version) that you will be able to look at instead of scrolling socials. This will take the discipline of not looking at the other notifications that come through while spending time reading the scripture though. If this is too hard for you, I encourage you to get a physical copy of God’s Word and use it for your reading.
Eventually, you will find your self longing for less time in a store, less time on your phone, and more time with the Lord.
Here, as we continue to follow through our plan of spending time with God, we will find our source of strength, faith and true joy. Our lives will begin to change in ways that are, at first, hard to believe. Every moment of your day is a new moment to invite Christ into, and He can change your day, and your life, in dramatic ways!
