When I asked my middle school Sunday school class what they liked best about camp the day before they left, they thought of a couple of things before they decided they liked “everything.” “Even the food?” I joked.
“Yes, the food is great,” several answered. Then the students talked about how everything is focused on spending time with each other and God and there are no electronic distractions at camp. They liked that. They needed that.
Life is all about distractions, and we are all going in so many different directions. We have too much to do in the time we have every day. We often live with a phone in front of our faces until we don’t even see the people around us. It is completely against what God would want for our lives. How can we reach the world with the gospel when we don’t even hold eye contact with them?
A biblical synonym for distraction is being double-minded. James 1:8 says “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (KJV) We lose our order and chaos takes over our lives when we let electronic media control our time. Imagine a world where the Bible was read as much as Facebook. Lives would definitely be changed.
Phones and social media are not the only distractions in life. Satan would love to have us never think about God and to let our worldly distractions completely drown out the still, quiet voice of the Holy Spirit. We love to be entertained. We are busy! Most of us have short attention spans.
James 4:8 tells us to “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hears, you double-minded.” (NKJV). Are you ready to make the commitment to let your devices be simple tools and spend time with one another? It’s time to turn off the television instead of letting it drone on for hours. It’s time to listen to one another. It’s time to spend time with God and learn more about Him. It’s time to share that knowledge with your family and your world.
An effective family must have at least a little of the church camp mentality. There must be time for worship and time for prayer. There must be time for fun and time for rest. Members must care for one another. Distractions must be minimalized. It is time to bring a little part of church camp home with us.
