Don’t give me too much credit by assuming that I got into my habit of muting commercials for particularly noble reasons. My basic motivation is avoiding noise that feels so loud to my ears and mind. But it did get me thinking about how many voices come at us every single day. Through commercials on TV and radio, through ads on social media, through certain people we encounter, and the list goes on. And while commercials/ads/voices themselves don’t necessarily turn into idols, other worldly distractions often do. The Bible talks to us about how important it is to pay careful attention to our minds and who/what they are focused on. 

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. -Romans 12:2

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. -1 John 5:21

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. -2 Corinthians 11:3

Reading these verses confirms that distractions are real! There are many things and people out there threatening to take our attention away from the Lord. Perhaps it would be useful to have a couple strategies in your back pocket for quieting the noise a bit—maybe every day, or maybe just every so often when you need a little reset. Here are five simple ideas:

1. Mute commercials! Ha! I mean, why not? Quieting the world’s voice, literally, can give you some tiny pockets of peace. Whether you use those 2-3 minutes to read, to take care of something, or just to close your eyes and sit in silence, you’ll be eliminating potential distractions and giving yourself a chance to intentionally fix your thoughts on something higher. Of course, you could use those 2-3 minutes to talk to God! Just an idea.
2. Schedule social media breaks. Everything you see, watch and read on social media can set your heart and mind into a tailspin if you let it. Even if you do your best to curate your feed by following people and accounts that share Christ-centered content, those ads and “just for you” recommendations from the all powerful algorithm will sneak in, as you know. So rather than letting social media have too much power over you, set some boundaries. Schedule in breaks! You could shut it down at a certain time each evening or decide on one day a week to fast from it. In the past couple years, I’ve established a pattern of getting completely off social media in June and July so my summers can be scroll-free! It’s crazy how ready I am for that by the time June 1 rolls around each year now. My mind is almost yearning for it, and it feels so freeing to let it go for the summer months. 
3. Step away from a relationship. Is there a friend or coworker in your life who is bringing an unwanted amount of stress, drama or negativity to your life? Perhaps this is the time to quietly and respectfully set a healthy boundary and put some distance between yourself and that person for a while. If someone’s words or actions are stirring up too many unproductive thoughts in your mind, ask God to see if He maybe wants you to separate from that relationship in this season. Of course, you want the people in your close circle to be people who bring you closer to Jesus! …people who help you block out the world’s voice and magnify Jesus’. So if there’s someone who’s doing just the opposite of that, it might be right to peacefully let that person go. Maybe not forever, but at least for some time so you can refocus your thoughts, words and actions on the Lord.
4. Filter what you’re hearing and seeing. Are you watching things on TV and on your phone that are God-honoring? Are you listening to things on the radio or your favorite streaming platform that are God-honoring? It’s worth it to carefully police what your eyes and ears are seeing and hearing. Obviously it’s not wrong to watch or listen to some non-Christian shows, movies and music, but certain things you intake could become major distractions. For example, a secular song might have a catchy lyric that does not glorify God. If that line gets stuck in your head, it’s distracting you from the kinds of thoughts that should fill your mind (Philippians 4:8). What you see and hear matters! Don’t kid yourself into thinking it doesn’t.
5. Take inventory of the apps on your phone. Let’s be honest, our phones are our biggest distractions, period. (If that’s not true for you, way to go!) Aside from social media, since we already talked about that in Suggestion #2, what other apps do you spend the most time on? If I’m being perfectly honest, when I do my summer social media break, there are many days when I end up just replacing my social media time with other mindless activity on my phone. My summer social media fast specifically keeps me off Facebook and Instagram—the apps that involve people sharing pictures and videos. But guess what I end up doing some days? Scrolling through the app formerly known as Twitter! Ugh. I don’t follow people who I personally know on Twitter, so I tell myself that I’m technically just looking at the news. But if I’m just replacing Facebook and Instagram with Twitter (and my Wordscapes game some days), how much is that really helping me? Are there any apps you could delete from your phone? Or maybe you could set some time limits on certain apps? Any time spent scrolling and swiping could be replaced with reciting a memory Bible verse, talking to God, or just looking around at His beautiful creation. (And yes, I’m preaching to myself.)

As you decide the best way for you to quiet the world’s voice and turn up the volume on Jesus’ voice, remember that you have the power to do just that. And then, be intentional about what you replace that time/mind space with! Fill some of it with Jesus, fill some of it with simple silence, and maybe even fill some of it with positive personal affirmations. When you block out distractions, your heart and mind is able to be more fully devoted to God. Without the distractions there to divide your attention, you can be more fully focused on the Lord. A heart and mind dedicated to the sovereign God of the universe is increasingly able to experience renewal and transformation!

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. -Psalm 86:11