As a leader I'm constantly bombarded with distractions. Distractions can be fatal to our creativity, our drive for success and excellence, and our effectiveness. Most of the time distractions produce death by degrees, slowly consuming are calling, vocation, and our lives. Dodd Caldwell recently gave an interview to Crossleadership where he said: “ it's easy to lose focus on what's important and spend our time and energy on temporal things.”
He's right you know. Distractions but nonessential things causes us to waste our lives. So as a leader, and a pastor with people who have legitimate needs, and other responsibilities that are legitimate, and even fit within the framework of kingdom life, how do we limit and maybe even destroy the distractions that lurk?
First: it would be important to identify the distractions we cannot stop an attack from the enemy unless you first identify the enemy. Sometimes we just need to stop for a moment, and think: what are my distractions? Maybe it's something as simple as a constantly vibrating phone. Distractions come in all shapes and sizes like that all-important text message, or someone commenting on our Facebook status. Maybe it is that tweet from someone halfway around the world that we've never even met, whatever it is it's distracting. There are other distractions that tend to be a part of our normal daily life yet they eat up large amounts of time. The project maybe we should delegate to someone else. The TV program that will be on Netflix for free in less than 5 years, or maybe it's the all-important sporting event that we won't remember this time next year. What you don't watch sports or TV? Maybe it's a hobby or a book? Whatever it is like everything else it must find a rightful place in our lives. If we continue to devote too much time to them, it will distract us.
Second: to destroy the distractions we must focus on what's important. Do you ever find it hard to focus? To be completely transparent I do. Maybe it's my undiagnosed ADD? I think one major way to destroy a distraction and Life is to focus on our God-given mission and priority. I know this sounds crazy, but whenever I outline my month, week or day it's easier for me to focus on what's really important and to eliminate the distractions that continually creep into my schedule. At times I'm better at it than others but one thing I've noticed of the years, is this: if before I begin work I pulled out a piece of paper and jot down 3 or 4 things that I need to accomplish today it helps me prioritize and keep in my mind what really needs to be done.
Third: lately I tried to block my distractions. Sometimes it's simple as fording a phone call to the office so that my secretary or voicemail answers the phone. There are programs that you can install on your computer to prevent the access of Facebook or twitter if you need to self-discipline. If you're one who spends hours in front of the TV do something radical… Recently we canceled our TV subscription, most of the TV shows that we watch our free anyway on the Internet, and if you're creative enough you can stream the signal to your TV. It has really cut down our TV watching. Not radical enough for you? Why not sell your TV? Here's my point: do something to block your distraction!
Forth: it's probably a good idea once a distraction is blocked to replace it with something meaningful. As helpful as it is to cut our distractions out from our lives if we do not replace it with a God-given goal and work there will be another distraction to take his place, justice time draining, and just as devastating.
Fifth: it is important that we live in the moment. Jamal it was a martyr for the Christian faith. Once he said, “ Wherever you are, be all there!” Isn't that good advice? We live in a world where we may be trying to eat dinner with our family and our noses are constantly in the phones. None of us have any idea how much longer we will live on the earth and to live with an all-consuming focus for the kingdom of God is important. Don't neglect the calling to God on your life. And if you're like me, you have a family: don't neglect the family. I was privileged to have Dr. WA Criswell as a professor. At the end of this class he would always invite the students to ask him questions. He called it, “A leaf from his life.” One day a student asked him, “If you could live your life over and repeat your ministry what would you do differently?” To which he said, “ I would make my family a greater priority.”
I've always remembered those words. I may have other regrets but I hope and pray for my family really does know how much I love them.
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