Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy.

by Bob Goff

A thousand such unnoticed distractions are getting in the way of your joy and preventing you from living with the kind of focused purpose that will produce the life you are longing for.

On average, human knowledge is doubling every thirteen months, but this deluge of information doesn’t provide any more clarity about our lives. To the contrary, it sometimes feels like the facts become a smoke screen lingering between us and the clarity we truly need. Have you noticed that even when facts seem indisputable, people still find a way to spend a weird amount of time arguing about them? Culturally, I think we all sense that we’re a little uptight and feisty right now.

The way to beat distraction is to become captivated by something much bigger and much better, such as purpose and joy.

Decide in advance that you will do whatever it takes to get your heart right, and then do it—even if it will kill all previous versions of you.

If you want to dazzle heaven, stop being distracted being everyone else. Go be you. Do anything less, and the unique gift God wrapped in you will never be fully opened. Jesus said a rich relationship with the Father is only possible by having a right relationship with each other.

The clarity of purpose, undistracted energy, selfless love, and unselfish pursuits you bring to the world will be your legacy. Everything else will look like a distraction by comparison.

I’ve been trying to go to prisons more often—not as an inmate but as a friend. It wasn’t my idea; it’s something Jesus said we should do.

The truth is, we use up a crazy amount of energy sorting out other people’s mean streaks or controlling ours—wasting energy that would be better spent living the big lives Jesus said are available to us.

Jerks are quickly forgotten, but one act of kindness laced with joy can be remembered forever.

What if we stopped sizing each other up? Instead, if we were to tend to our own fires, perhaps they would burn a little brighter. We need to stop getting into food fights with people inside and outside of our faith communities just because we don’t understand or agree with their worldview. Remember, God didn’t appoint us judge and jury just because we have a couple of opinions. Do us a favor and keep divisive thoughts to yourself. Instead, delight in how wonderfully diverse we are.