Fighting against distraction

One thing have I asked of the Lord that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple (Psalm 27:4, ESV).

I got my first smartphone about fifteen years ago. Although it still boggles my mind how many things that I once owned now fit inside that phone (music, flashlight, calendar, files, guitar tuner, etc.), it has also become clear how much harder it is for me to sustain prolonged attention on anything. I have watched our culture go from watching movies to television shows to YouTube videos to seconds-long clips on TikTok or Instagram, and I have found my own attention span shrinking at a frightening rate. For those of us whose primary desire is to know and follow God, this diminishing ability to “be still and know that [He] is God” (Psalm 46:10) is deadly to our soul.

This morning, I read a post by Justin Jeppesen on the Strategic Renewal website entitled “What has your attention?” In that article, he referenced Psalm 27:4 to talk about how David focused on the Lord: “One thing have I asked of the Lord that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4, ESV). In this verse, Jeppesen notes that there are three main verbs that serve as a guide to us in our distracted world:

Dwell – David begins by making the time to abide in God’s presence, not just individually but corporately, worshiping among God’s people.

Gaze – David declares his desire to gaze at God’s beauty, to contemplate God, His character, and His Word.

Inquire – David spends time waiting on the Lord, searching Him out, considering Him closely, meditating on Him.

For those of us who are easily distracted, following David’s example in Psalm 27:4 is going to require carving out some extended time, removing electronic devices or anything else that might easily distract us, and spending time in prayer or reading God’s Word. Jesus talks in Matthew 6:6 about going into an inner room and closing the door so that we can seek the Lord in prayer. It can certainly be helpful if you have a regular place set aside for prayer – a room, a chair, a spot outdoors. Perhaps you can even use Psalm 27:4 to refocus your attention to the Lord.

It takes intentional effort to fight the rising tide of distraction and forces competing for your attention. But your soul depends upon it. How can you make time this week to be still and know that He is God?