Are you unsatisfied with life, experiencing dips of depression, but unsure why?
Perhaps you’re caught in a cycle of distractions and fillers with an overstimulated mind.
We hunger for joy, peace, satisfaction, and purpose, but the flashing signs of options and “you could have this now if you click here” lead us away.
I could sit here and type out all the facts about how our brains were designed to function—that they have one hundred billion neurons that are not meant to light up all at once, but the way our culture is set up, they, do and it’s not benefiting us. We live in an always-on culture. I mean, come on, we are so overstimulated we can’t even sit for that two-minute time span at a traffic light without picking up our phones to scroll.
Don’t deny it.
You know I’m dead on with this.
I drive a very tall suburban, and I see you with that phone in your lap (wink-wink).
Here’s what happens with the overstimulated mind: when those transmitters have been ignited in our brain at that high magnitude, it releases a chemical called dopamine, known as “the feel-good” hormone.
Dopamine puts us in a state of euphoria.
When we are not igniting those neurons in our brain at that magnitude, it feels like a big crash that leaves us feeling depressed. We then feel the intense need to “feel good” again, so we overstimulate ourselves to try to stay there. If our brains are not being stimulated at that magnitude (we think we’re checking out), we kinda freak out because we don’t know what to do with ourselves. We then begin to tell our mind and body that we need to check out more to feel okay, and that’s where we get caught in a cycle that is totally the enemy’s intention, taking us farther away from choosing God’s will, leading us to an over-stimulated, unsatisfied life. Truth be told, we cannot find rest for our souls or understand what it means to be still.
Do you know who loves watching us stay overstimulated and distracted, leading us to make choices that are just fillers and not the real deal from God?
The one who has a masterplan to derail us from the rich and satisfying life that Jesus came to bring us, including our God-given purpose in life.
The enemy!
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” —John 10:10 NLT
It doesn’t seem to take him a whole lot of effort to slither his way in and distract us. We’ve got an influx of flashing empty promises of hope and freedom as we compare our lives to the small corners of someone else’s life that they are choosing to share right at our fingertips.
Ahem . . . social media.
Apps with notifications . . . okay, so my ministry has an app, but it won’t lead you away from God’s best. It will point you straight to Him, so you can’t put it in that category.
Jus’ sayin’.
We are connected to everything and everyone, day and night, without turning it off.
This doesn’t even include the demands right in front of us.
Boss.
Kids.
Housework.
Office work . . . the checklists and everything in between.
Then the enemy just sits back and watches us wander aimlessly, filling ourselves with a never-ending task list and distractions that leave us busy but still hungry for more.
Or so focused on others’ lives through social media that we aren’t even doing much with our own.
How can we?
We are too distracted with entertainment, as our dreams and goals fade to the back of our minds, and then we struggle to connect with “why” we are feeling so empty inside. We then reach for more distractions to drown that vacant pit the distractions caused in the first place.
The enemy knows our “more” is with God and God alone. He absolutely doesn’t want us to come to this revelation because as soon as we do, he knows we become a threat to his dark kingdom.
Why?
Because we become free, living out that rich and satisfying life Jesus paid for. Not only does this dramatically change the course of our existence, but as we live in step with Jesus, we are continually filled with His supernatural joy and peace that others can feel and see, and from there, we can point them to the same kind of freedom.
This way of living becomes a positive trickle effect for God’s Kingdom.
When we understand that our fulfillment comes from stilling ourselves in the presence of God regularly, we can then hear the direction He has for our lives, and from there we can make decisions that line up with that God-given vision. It also empowers us to discern in each moment when satan is trying to find an in and derail us!
I’m challenging you today (and the days that follow), to pay attention to how often you turn to distractions and fillers during your “in-between” daily tasks and instead learn to still yourself in God’s presence. Talk to Him, discern His voice, get a vision for your life, be present in what (or who’s) around you, and unlock the rich and satisfying life Jesus paid for.
If today’s encouragement spoke to you, my book, Life is Muddy, is for you! Grab your signed copy HERE!
Much love, J
