It’s Not Limited to Driving!

According to the Associated Press, a recent government study found that 8 out of 10 car wrecks involve drivers who are drowsy, talking on cell phones, putting on makeup, or reaching for a moving object. Researchers reviewed thousands of hours of video and data from sensors connected to more than 200 drivers in the study.

Dialing or talking on a cell phone and applying makeup raised the risk of a crash nearly three times. Reaching for an object increased crash chances by nine times.

The acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (believe it or not, there is one!), said the study, “illustrates the potentially dire circumstances that can occur while driving distracted or drowsy. It’s crucial that drivers always be alert when on the road.”

Our multi-tasking obsessed culture continues to find more things to do while performing primary tasks like driving. Whether it’s the cell phone, drinking coffee, correcting the kids in the back seat, replying to a text message or reaching for a fallen object the research shows we are easily distracted and other drivers often pay the price of our inattentiveness. Hey, I’m guilty regarding some of these too, so please don’t think I’m pointing fingers at others!

Driving isn’t he only place we’re plagued by distractions. Christ-followers seem to be having the same trouble in America. For example, we may serve in a specific ministry at church, faithfully attend worship and participate in a weekly small group, but such a rapid pace can sacrifice precious time alone with God=CRASH!

The church is among the worst when it comes to piling on stuff and watching her people crash while trying to do several things at once without doing any of them well! Our focus becomes so wide that we’re incapable of focusing on the one or two things that enable us to become healthy and growing Christ-followers.

We need to focus our attention and concentrate. If we’re serving then we need to concentrate on ministering to others. If it’s worship then we need to give priority to praising God. However, attempting to do all of these simultaneously is a prescription for Christian burnout. A workaholic pastor friend used to say that, “Christian’s never experience burnout.” I wanted to laugh whenever he said it as hundreds of faces of people in previous churches who were absolutely slap burned out passed across my mental screen. I also thought of Pastor John Ortberg’s words of warning from his mentor, Dr. Dallas Willard when he told him he was going to join the staff of Chicago mega church, Willow Creek: “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”

You are too precious to God to let that happen! Jesus may have multi-tasked but He was not distracted. Even in His multitasking He had balance. Balance is the key word too. Jesus kept His focus on God’s primary purpose for His life and ministry. Nothing got in the way of it, and nothing kept Him from achieving it for God, the Father. “My will is to do the will of the One who sent me.” Now that’s focus! May God help us as we attempt to focus on things that really matter to Christ and make them a priority! God, we ask you to help us strike a balance as we attempt to walk where Jesus walked.