It’s no surprise I love to read. It’s a wonderful way to learn! I enjoy physical books, ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, pamphlets, and online reading. Growing up, I used to read for an hour each afternoon on the school bus. I also have a little free library in my front yard.
Reading and learning were always family priorities, and I also am instilling the love of lifelong learning in Lydia. She’s also well on her way to becoming an excellent reader.
I have an ever-growing ‘to be read’ book pile, but I’m especially fond of trivia (or otherwise random data!). My intuitive brain loves those details that connect everything together, but on their own don’t mean much.
Knowledge is a wonderful gift, but if I’m not careful, too much data input can be distracting. I’ll read a book or article and stop to look up something trivial. That will lead to another tangent and before long, I’ve got a whole lot of random ideas with no real purpose. If I don’t refocus my attention, my concentration is lost and I make no progress!
I love both ‘snail mail’ and electronic mail. Sometimes, I sign up through email to learn more about a topic. I like receiving free handouts, recipes, devotionals, guides, and more.
Well, as you can imagine, the emails stack up and I don’t get around to reading them all! Lately, it has been difficult to answer important emails because I’ve had so many to sort through. Time for an electronic cleanup!
On Monday, I woke up early and took advantage of the quiet. I purged about 500 emails right away. That fueled my motivation, prompting me to search topically and delete more.
I cleared out junk mail, spam, and advertisements. I unsubscribed from several newsletters, too. Many of them were nutrition-focused with yummy recipes I hope I can find later online. If not, I’ll find something similar!
Over the last 48 hours, I have deleted over 1,800 emails. It feels so good, and I still have more to go! I may never get to zero, but now I’m excited to check my email and read what I have left.
I don’t feel overwhelmed, and I don’t feel like I am avoiding my inbox anymore!
Life is too short to live distracted. Years from now, the status of my inbox will not matter any more than my to-do list. So why waste time or mental energy hoping I’ll get around to it? If it was truly important, I would have prioritized it by now!
We were never meant to hold onto extra burdens with no meaning. Who has time for 3,000 emails?! Even if many of the emails had good content, it was just too much.
Maybe your inbox isn’t a problem. But, maybe your focus is on organizing your pantry, art project, yard, finances, or relationships. Anything can distract us.
We have a daily decision to make. Do I put my hope, trust, and effort in Jesus or the World? One has Eternal value and the other will not last. Choose wisely!
If our eyes are on Jesus, we will avoid wasting time on useless distractions. (Sometimes, we have to make a sacrifice!) If something is from God, it will have a purpose and bring life. And, if it is not, it will fade away because it does not matter.
Even in challenges, with God’s help, we will be energized. If He is in it, we will bear an abundance of fruit. It probably won’t be easy and it might take all we have, but we will have focus and not be completely drained!
Jesus is worth every second and every breath… 3,000 emails… not so much!
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Heavenly Father, thanks all You do for us. Thanks for redirecting us and giving us an eternal perspective. Help us put You first and live wholeheartedly for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Questions: Do you check email regularly? Have you ever gotten your inbox to zero? What changes might God be asking YOU to make?
Tasks: Start purging old emails! And, ask God to direct your path so you can hear His voice and follow Him.
Ugh, remember when email was cool and fun? I have been overwhelmed by too many distracting emails too. One way I try to avoid this distraction is to have more than one email address. It sounds counterproductive, but I use one email for family, friends and topics I need to stay on top of regularly. I check that email address almost everyday. I use the other email address for shopping and other less important emails so that I only have to check it when I am looking for a sale or need something minor. I also don’t have to feel bad about deleting large numbers of messages in this account b/c the info is probably expired anyway. Ahhh, it feels good to let go of silly burdens!