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Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

Life is busy and we are besieged by a constant stream of activities. The new normal is to be busy with being busy. If one were to admit, “Today, I’m not so busy,” that person will be branded slothful!

It’s an open secret how addicted we are to distractions in this hyper-connected ‘smart’ world, even without the help of continuous aggravators like financial pressure, health concerns, relationship issues, terrorist threats, and the daily battle with our smart phones. Distractions prevent us from the clarity we need, and rob us of the ability to be completely present in the now.

In a recent study, The University of Virginia took 15 professional men and women and asked them to sit alone without distractions for 15 minutes. Before starting the experiment, the researcher asked the participants to press a red button attached to their chair, whereupon they received a substantial electrical shock – painful enough that every participant said they would gladly pay money rather than experience it again! Post-study results, however, showed that 75% of the men and 25% of the women could not simply sit alone and do nothing for 15 short minutes. You can guess what happened: many decided to take the only way out of the test –receive another unpleasant electrical shock in order to leave the room.

Is it true that we are addicted to distractions? Stillness and serenity are hard to find, and may be harder to endure. It takes more discipline to do nothing (and be still) than do something (activity and distractions). Yet, God calls us to slow down, come before Him, and be still. Busyness and distractions fail to glorify Him. On the other hand, God calls us to depend upon Him, rather than the distractions, when He invites us to "Be still.” When we master the ability to be still, we can get to know Him intimately and glorify Him.

When was the last time you were still enough to hear a whisper from God?

Let God correct your uncanny distractions by:

• Thanking God for reminding you through His everlasting word to be still before Him
• Asking God to help you be redeemed from distractions and learn to be still before Him and focus on His greatness