As I drive around town, I see many people who aren’t paying attention to the world around them.
“I love you, Daddy…”
Some can’t hear a friend calling out to them because they’re using earbuds and an iPhone. Others are at the dinner table, scrolling through the Facebook News Feed on their tablet.
And as I’m driving down the road here in rural Maine, I notice that least 1 in 20 of the other drivers have their eyes looking down… at their cellphones… as they drive.
This new life attached to phones doesn’t appeal to me very much. My language work largely involves working with computers. So I turn everything off at the end of the day, and try to talk to real people or read a book whenever I have the chance.
However, the challenge for me is to stop working! My cause is noble, and there always seems to be work waiting on my computer’s desktop. The computer allows us to work efficiently and I find it difficult to pull away from it and pay attention to my family as I should.
How often did God try to get my attention, and I did not listen?
God-Imposed Interruptions
A few years ago, God had something very important He needed to show me. And He knew just how to get my attention.
Like half a million other people in Maine last week, we lost our power. A devastating windstorm blew through the state. The wind destroyed many trees. Trees blocked the roads. The essentials of American life (water, electricity and the internet) were lost.
Until the power came back on, our family’s daily routine was interrupted as we spent the day taking care of the basics. I never realized how much my work depends on having electricity and the internet!
Eventually, my wife’s workplace got power before we did, so she and the girls were able to camp out there until power was restored.
However, someone had to stay at home to let the family know if the power came back on. And that someone, was me.
After I prepared a few MicroBibles for delivery, I had nothing to do but wait for the power to come back on.
God Gets my Attention
And as I did, God used this interruption to my routine to get my attention. He spoke to me, giving me counsel about an answer to a prayer I have asked Him about for a long time.
Over the past couple of years, widespread floods, hurricanes, and wildfires devastate homes throughout America. Does it seem to you as if God is trying to tell us something?
After He got my attention through the windstorm, here is what I think He is trying to say: He is using these interruptions to show us what’s most important in life, and encouraging us to give higher priority to what matters most.
Self-Imposed Interruptions
Thankfully, God can speak to us without shutting off our power and internet! We should not spend 6-11 hours a day in front of screens, for work and play. Rather, we should regularly turn off all of our electronic devices, on our own. With the new free time this gives us, we have more time to pray, rest, read and laugh together.
Those who are willingly “different” from the world in this way will receive blessings that most others miss out on…
Like David Wilkerson.
David Wilkerson’s Story
In 1958, David Wilkerson felt like the LORD was calling him to sell his television set. He was spending two hours a night watching the late-night shows of the day. 
He put an ad in the local newspaper. Then, to be sure whether God was asking Him to sell it, He asked for a sign:
“Jesus, I need help deciding this thing, so here is what I am asking of You. If it is You behind this idea of selling my television, let a buyer appear within a half an hour after the paper gets on the streets.”
And that’s exactly what happened! Exactly 29 minutes after the paper hit the streets, a man called and offered to pick up his television set, even though he was asking $100. A hundred dollars in 1958 bought as much as $850 does today!
Then, Pastor David began spending the two hours he normally spent watching TV, seeking God… And that’s how Teen Challenge started. As a result of one man hearing from God, millions have obtained freedom from drug addiction through this ministry.
What self-imposed limits are you putting on the distractions in your life, so that God can get your attention? Please let us know by leaving a comment below:
Your short devotionals always challenge my heart – not to do more but to be more. There will be more time to “do “after I have taken the time to “be†in His presence. Thank you.
I confess your message has challenged me. I have spent considerable time complaining about and being frustrated over the poor, poor internet service we are getting in Ghana this semester. Especially since we were waiting for the birth of a new grandson (who has now arrived safe and sound). Perhaps just turning it off would be the greater blessing. Thank you for your thoughts.
We experienced the same frustration while in Chad. It’s all about God trying to get our attention… to fellowship with one another, and to pray, like they used to. Before the days of the internet. Before the days of television.
I don’t always win, but when I do, it adds a quality of life to my days.
At least you live in a place where the pressure to be online isn’t as strong as it is here!
Love you guys! You’re in our prayers.