Goodbye Distraction: Learning to Live in the Present MomentSýnishorn

Yesterday, we looked at how, if we fail to establish healthy boundaries around our desire for accomplishment, we will miss out on many of the daily opportunities to be present to God, others, and even the condition of our soul.

Today, we will consider how our desire to accumulate more and more possessions leads to a distracted life.

For so many today, the desire to accumulate more and more possessions often goes hand in hand with a lifestyle driven by accomplishment. The more we focus on accumulating more stuff, the more we feel pressure to hustle harder to afford the lifestyle we crave.

Dr. Richard A. Swenson, in his must-read book Margin, paints a sobering picture of what can happen when we allow ourselves to be distracted by accumulation. "Everything we own owns us. We must maintain it, paint it, play with it, build space in our house to put it, and then work to pay it off."

When we over-fixate on acquiring possessions, God and other people get squeezed out of the moment. As too many people crammed into an elevator, there is simply no time left for what is truly important - essential time with God and others and time for our souls to rest.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus warns His followers, both then and now, to "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." (See Luke 12:15NRSV) And 1 John 2:15-17 echoes a similar message, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever."

The question becomes, what can you and I do as apprentices of Jesus to "guard against all kinds of greed?"

#1 - Simplicity: practice being content with the material blessings God has already given us to steward well. Choose to prioritize people over possessions when it comes to how we define our meaning and purpose.

#2 - Generosity: a life characterized by simplicity creates a margin in our budget and calendar, providing an open door to radical generosity. As generosity grows in our hearts, we begin to see opportunities all around us to regularly and spontaneously give to those in need.

As you go, consider this thought. The next time you are considering purchasing anything of significance. Instead of just asking, "Can I afford this?" ask yourself this one additional question, "how will purchasing ______________ affect the available margin in my calendar and, by extension, my ability to be fully present to God, other people, and my own soul?"