Simplify

I hate math. I always have. But after all my years of math, I have learned one thing: simplify.

The same goes for life. We need to simplify. Get rid of distractions. Those Snapchat streaks? Get rid of them. Those hours you spend each day scrolling through Twitter, Instagram, or Youtube? Get rid of them. Those shows you binge-watch on Netflix? Get rid of them. All that time you spend trying to get first place on Fortnite? Stop. Do something productive.

Now let me get this straight–I’m not saying we need to throw our phones away or sell our Playstations. They can be good in moderation. But moderation is the key. The truth, however, is that we don’t consume these things in moderation. In fact, these things consume us. We are constantly distracted by the vibration and ringing of our phones. We can connect to someone on the other side of the world, we can tweet anything that is on our mind, and we can watch movies of fictional characters living fascinating lives. But all that is nothing more than entertainment. Whatever happened to our own lives being entertainment? Whatever happened to us, as individuals, living fascinating lives? We became distracted. We lost focus. We realized subconsciously how these little distractions flood our minds with dopamine. But there is an even better way to get dopamine–and that’s by actually living a life worth living, instead of watching someone else do it on a movie screen.

And these are but a few of the distractions. I’m not trying to bash technology. But it is the most common distraction that each of us carries in our pocket. But there are more. Sex. Pornography. Drugs. Alcohol. Food. These are even more distractions. And often times our flesh craves for at least one of these (notice, however, that food is necessary and sex is a good thing when done in marriage). We can’t always control the desire, but we can control the action. Don’t waste your time by giving in to the distractions. Stay on your path.

So what’s your path? What is your mission? Why were you created by God and given breath today? It wasn’t so God could watch you waste it by giving in to minute distractions and desires. No. He gave you breath so you could change the world. You have control. You get to choose how you spend this life. Stop making excuses, stop blaming other people for your failures and mistakes. Take responsibility and own your life. Find the mission God has given you. The purpose. The passion. It’s within you. Find it and own it. Don’t stray away from it. We all have a mission. And the best way to find your mission is to simplify. Fast from all these worldly distractions. Go to nature–there’s something about being in God’s creation that brings clarity. Rest in Him.

One of my favorite men in the Bible, David, was a man with a mission. He was a man of valor and a man of God. Yet he became distracted. 2 Samuel 11 tells the story of David and Bathsheba. Verse 1 says that Joab and the Israelite army “destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.” In verse 2, David notices Bathsheba taking a bath, and the rest is history. David lost sight of his mission. He was meant to be in Rabbah alongside Joab and the Israelite army, leading his warriors into battle. Yet he stayed home. He became distracted.

Our distractions may seem little, but over time, they multiply into an infinite amount of wasted time–wasted life. Just 30 minutes a day scrolling through Instagram equals 3.5 hours a week. In a year, that’s 182 hours. That equals about 7.5 days a year you could spend on Instagram. And that’s if you only spend 30 minutes a day on the app. No one gets to the end of their life and wishes they had scrolled through Instagram more or had kept more snapchat streaks, or had tweeted more. What they do wish for is more time. More time to love. More time to live. Time is the one thing we all have, yet the one thing we are never guaranteed.

Find your purpose. Find your mission. Don’t become conformed to this world.

Stop wasting the most precious gift God has given you: life.