Description
# Family Devotion: The Enemy of Distraction
There is an old illustration often attributed to C.S. Lewis describing a meeting of demons where Satan lays out a strategy. He admits something important:
They cannot easily stop people from going to church.
They cannot easily stop people from owning a Bible.
So instead, he proposes a different approach.
**Keep them busy.**
Keep them distracted.
Keep them constantly occupied.
Fill their lives with noise, schedules, entertainment, work, stress, and endless activity—until there is no space left for God.
Not necessarily with obvious evil, but with *constant distraction*.
Anything that keeps the heart too full to be still before God becomes useful.
This idea is not just an illustration—it reflects a real spiritual warning found in Scripture.
The Bible repeatedly calls God’s people to *watchfulness*, *stillness*, and *abiding*.
Jesus Himself said:
“Abide in me, and I in you.”
— John 15:4
But abiding requires something modern life often steals from us: time, attention, and stillness.
The danger is not always rebellion. Sometimes it is replacement.
Not rejecting God—but slowly crowding Him out.
A full schedule can make prayer feel rushed.
Constant entertainment can make silence feel uncomfortable.
Endless responsibilities can make Scripture feel optional.
Even good things—work, sports, family activities, vacations—can quietly become so central that God becomes secondary.
That is why Scripture also says:
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
— Psalms 46:10
Stillness is not laziness. It is awareness. It is making space to remember who God is and who we are before Him.
So the question is not whether we are doing “bad things.”
The question is:
**Have we become too full to notice God anymore?**
A distracted soul rarely drifts toward God—it simply drifts away without realizing it.
But there is good news.
Jesus does not only command us to abide in Him—He invites us into a relationship where He gives rest to weary souls.
He is not competing for our attention like another task on the list. He is the source of life itself.
## Prayer
Father, we confess how easily we become distracted and busy. Forgive us for allowing good things to crowd out the best thing—time with You.
Help us slow our hearts down in a world that constantly speeds us up. Teach us to abide in Jesus, to hear Your voice above the noise, and to value Your presence above everything else.
Restore simplicity to our faith. Reorder our priorities. And draw our family into deeper fellowship with You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.