I struggled with the title of this one a bit. Most people (myself included) have a pretty narrow definition of what devotion means. For many it looks something like sitting in a dimly lit room in a comfortable chair where everything is quiet and serene reading the bible or a special book called a devotional. If we’re not sitting contemplatively learning, we don’t really think it’s a true time of devotion. But what if we have it all wrong?
If your situation is like many in our world today, you’re probably working from home. That means your home is your place of entertainment, home gym, home office, child’s classroom, and so many more things!
Add to it the fact that all of our remote work is done on our computers and the distractions mount even more. Productivity maybe on the rise in some areas but distraction is through the roof as well.
You’re probably spending more time on Facebook or Instagram than ever before. If you’re like most people, you’re not disconnecting from work at a normal closing time like you did pre-covid.
The long and short of it is that distractions are all around us, so how can we possibly focus on a personal devotional life in the midst of the most distracted time in our lives?
Redefining Devotion
In an article I recently read this very topic was addressed. The idea of personal devotion time needs to be seen in a different light. We’re in different times than ever before so why can’t we see things a bit differently? The article made a distinction between the act of devotion and the one to whom you’re devoted.
He gave several examples of what devotion could look like throughout the article. We can live out our devotional life while raking leaves or throwing a ball with our child. We can live this devotional lifestyle by doing all that we do for the glory of God. Just because you’re in a stage right now where you can’t seem to focus for long periods of time without being distracted by other things doesn’t mean you can’ t have a devotional life.
Some things you may want to consider however if distraction has seemingly taken over your life include shutting down your computer when your work is done. Stop your phone from fetching emails after a set time of day. Have tech-free zones in your house. These are places where upon entry you have no technology turned on. Yep that includes that cool smart watch too! Make supper time personal by sitting down together and leaving phones in a basket on the counter.
When we leave some of our most distracting habits behind us for a set period of time, we’ll not only be more productive but we’ll also have a deeper connections with God and those around us.
There you have it. Devotion in a distracted age. Now don’t ask me how long it took to write this article because of all the things that I let distract me!
Every once in a while it’s healthy to sit down and reflect on where you’ve been. As we wrap up a summer of ministry, I’ve taken a little bit of time to just pause for a second or two to consider what the past 12 months have brought. There have been many ups and a few downs along the way, but in all of it God has truly shown up! Below are my reflections, three significant failures on my part and the lessons learned. 
