Loving Others by Living Undistracted
By Julie Lefebure
Sometimes our biggest lessons are the most painful, aren’t they? My daughter was entering fourth grade, and during the meet and greet night a few days before school started, we introduced ourselves to her soon-to-be teacher. As I was mid-sentence, the teacher’s eyes looked beyond me to another parent in the doorway, and slowly her body followed. I never got to finish our conversation. In that moment I felt unseen, unimportant, and overlooked. I vowed right then I would never make another feel the way I felt.
In that moment I felt unseen, unimportant, and overlooked. I vowed right then I would never make another feel the way I felt.
I wish I could say I have mastered staying present with others, but sadly, I realize I have caused others to feel unseen, unimportant, and overlooked, too—exactly what I vowed to never do! Not intentionally, but because it’s what happens when we live distracted.
For several years now, I’ve been on a mission to take my life back from the everyday distractions that pull me away from the abundant life Jesus came to give me. It’s not been an easy task, living in this culture of distraction. Distractions are everywhere, and they present themselves in subtle ways. I find numerous women aren’t aware just how distracted they are living. I used to be one of them.
NOT JUST ABOUT US
One truth I’ve learned through this process of undistracting my life is that living undistracted isn’t always about us. Sure, we benefit personally by overcoming everyday distractions, but the real gift in living this way is blessing others by remaining present with them.
Living in the right now isn’t always about us. Oftentimes it’s more about others.
Living in the right now isn’t always about us. Oftentimes it’s more about others.
Jesus was the master at this, wasn’t He? The Bible is full of examples of how He stayed present with others, and thankfully, we can learn from Him. He wasn’t distracted as He fed the five thousand. He wasn’t distracted when He let the children come to Him. He stayed in the moment to notice the blind, the lame, the demon-possessed, and even Zacchaeus in a sycamore tree. Maybe most importantly, He wasn’t distracted as He carried His cross to Calvary, still ministering to others along the way.
In every single account we read of Jesus, we never see Him distracted, ever. He noticed the unnoticeable, He saw the unseen, and He paid attention to what and whom most people missed. He was always about embracing the moment, staying present, and doing the work and will of His Father.
As He did so, He influenced those He encountered to feel important, special, and deeply loved. I want to be more like Jesus. I want to notice like Jesus noticed, to be present like Jesus was present, to love like Jesus loved, and to live undistracted the way Jesus did. Maybe you do, too?
BEING AVAILABLE
We can’t live like Jesus, however, if we’re living distracted. It’s just not possible. We also can’t love others well if we’re living distracted.
When we intentionally live in the present, we can better connect with and respond to those around us. No matter if they are in our homes, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, or receiving our emails or texts, we are more available to notice occasions to bless and assist. We are better able to attend to the needs and joys of others, and we can build stronger relationships with them because of our live-in-the-moment presence.
When we intentionally live in the present, we can better connect with and respond to those around us.
Living undistracted truly matters!
The people in our lives need us to be present. Numerous passages in the Bible encourage us to build and maintain healthy relationships with others. We can’t do this if we’re living distracted. One verse comes to mind, and it’s the foundation of all we do to live out our Christian faith. It’s 1 Corinthians 16:14, “Do everything in love” (NIV). Love is the motivation of living undistracted. Not only do we love God and ourselves by living in the moment, but we show love to others by doing so as well.
IDENTIFYING DISTRACTIONS
Think for a moment. What is distracting you today? What is keeping you from living in the moment and giving your best to others? Do you know? For the next few hours, I invite you to pay attention to what pulls you away from staying present. Is it your phone, your thoughts, external interruptions, or social media? Write down whatever you notice, then commit to not following that distraction. This is the first step in overcoming distractions in your life.
I share in my book, Right Now Matters: Empowering Right-Now Women in a Culture of Distraction, practical tips and ways to eliminate these pesky distractions from our lives, and additional details about how living undistracted can help us build stronger relationships with others.
Life (and the people in it) are too important to live it distracted.
About Julie
Julie Lefebure is the author of Right Now Matters: Empowering Right-Now Women in a Culture of Distraction. She is also the host of the Encouragement for Real Life Podcast. There she offers hope, inspiration, and encouragement based on biblical principles to help women live the abundant lives Jesus came to give them. Julie speaks at various women’s events and groups, and she is the founder, host, and presenter of a local quarterly women’s event, “Real Encouragement LIVE!”
Knowing firsthand what it’s like to live distracted, Julie helps women experience abundance and joy by embracing a “right now” mentality and presence in their everyday, priceless lives.
Julie lives in rural Iowa and is an avid tandem bicyclist with her husband. Some of her favorite things are wearing inspirational graphic tees, hanging out with her family, and watching sunrises and sunsets. Find Julie at julielefebure.com and @julielefebure.
Access her full Free Resource library: https://www.julielefebure.com/resources/
Learn more about her book and bible study: https://rightnowmatters.com
Find her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julielefebure
Find her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JulieLefebureWriter