‘“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God#6:33 Some manuscripts do not include of God. above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.’ Matthew 6:25-34 (NLT)
‘Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. ‘ 1 Timothy 6:6-12 (NLT)
The only way to combat the old habits of distraction is to develop new habits to create space for emotional curiosity. You might think of them as noise-canceling habits. For you to grow as a leader or as a person, you need to employ these noise-canceling habits on a daily basis. That means you need to get intentional about moving counter to the ingrained, unhealthy habits you’ve formed.
The first of these noise-canceling habits is simplicity. We all tend to make our lives more complex than they need to be. I know I do. The distractions all around us are huge contributors to that complexity. They consume our time and focus. Even if those distractions are good things, they often take us away from better things.
The thing about practicing simplicity is that it helps you identify your why. And the more clearly you identify your why, the better able you are to simplify your life. It’s a cycle. Simplifying requires not only decluttering our physical lives by getting rid of the stuff we don’t use, don’t need, or that distracts us from more important things. It also means decluttering our emotions. In Matthew 5:8, Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” Emotionally decluttering means seeking a purity of heart that helps us see God. How awesome is that?
In Matthew 6:25–34, Jesus urges us not to be anxious. He uses birds as an example, pointing out that they don’t reap or sow or worry about the future, yet God takes care of them. We are more valuable to God than any bird. You are more valuable to God. That’s what Jesus meant in Matthew 5:8 about being pure in heart so that you can see God. By simplifying the emotional noise all around us, by focusing on God’s love for us, we will see our heavenly Father. And that helps us identify our why.
What’s the emotional noise in your life? What are the distractions that cause you to feel anxious, depressed, or overwhelmed? What can you do to simplify so that you can see God better?
from How to Lead in a World of Distraction