Who in the Bible got Distracted? You’re Not Alone!

Last Updated on November 21, 2025 by Andrea

I’m a fairly focused person but even I get distracted. And it’s so frustrating! And I have a son with ADHD and he tells me that distraction is the bane of his existence.

But we’re not alone. Everybody has times of distraction – whether it’s daily or seasonally. Even people in the Bible faced distractions.

These distractions can keep us from God’s best. Let’s explore some people in the Bible who got distracted and see what we can learn from them to help us keep our focused eyes on Jesus.

* As an affiliate, I may earn a small amount at no extra cost to you from qualifying purchases made from links at my website. Thank you for supporting my small business!

Introduction

Distraction is not a new problem—it’s woven throughout the stories of God’s people from the Old Testament to the New Testament. The distractions of life may look modern, but the human heart hasn’t changed.

Scripture gives us real examples of men and women who lost full attention on the most important thing: listening to the word of the Lord and walking in the perfect will of God.

Whether it was the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, a sibling fight, or even doing much serving, people have struggled to keep their eyes on the Kingdom of God since the first time God called His children to follow Him.

The good news is that the Bible doesn’t just show us distracted disciples. It also points us back to Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who invites us to sit at His feet, hear God’s voice, and live with single-minded devotion.

As followers of Jesus today, these stories help us in our own spiritual journeys, teaching us how to grow in spiritual maturity, how to walk in the Spirit of God, and how to remember our first love in the middle of the noise of the world.

Who in the Bible Got Distracted?

Why Distraction Matters in the Christian Life

The battle for our attention is a spiritual battle and it’s real! The enemy tried to keep Jesus from His purpose in the wilderness. Of course, it didn’t work because He’s well, GOD. But we aren’t and the enemy still uses those tricks to distract us from God. He wants do distract us from the good news of salvation, from the call of God, and from even spending time with Him.

One role of the Holy Spirit is in renewing your mind. The Holy Spirit helps us to keep our thoughts and focus where it needs to be – on God.

I’m reading Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table by Louis Giglio. If you struggle with keeping your thoughts where they should be (I certainly do!), then I highly recommend this book. Louie Giglio walks the reader through how the enemy creeps into our lives, enjoying the blessings God means for us alone, then takes over our lives. Even better, he shares how to combat this subversive process. I highly recommend this book!

The Armor of God

Another technique we can use to protect our spiritual lives is putting on the whole armor of God (or full armor of God). Paul talks about this concept in the book of Ephesians. Let’s take a look:

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:11-17)

When we put on this armor – truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and Scripture – we are more prepared to protect ourselves from distraction. That protection keeps our focus on God and His will for us.

Learn More

If you are interested in learning more about the Armor of God, I highly recommend this study by Priscilla Shirer. If you’ve been reading at my website for a while, you know she is one of my favorite authors. This study opened my eyes to what these verses in Ephesians really mean. She gives historical context about each part of the Roman attire that Paul is referencing. I think you should definitely do this study!

For what it’s worth, I like to do my study answers in a journal so I can re-do the study a few years later and am not distracted by the previous answers. This way I can learn over and over again from the author. If you don’t have a journal, here’s one I enjoy using.

Martha: Distracted by Much Serving (Luke 10:38–42)

The Reading

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

Jesus’s Response

We see here that Martha was serving and Mary was learning. Full disclosure – I’m a Martha. I would rather keep busy in the background doing what needs to be done than sitting and embracing the moment. While my counselor is working with me on this, I’m still a work in progress!

We see that Jesus rebuked Martha for being overly concerned about “much serving” as opposed to Mary’s “good portion” – sitting at the feet of Jesus to learn from Him.

When Jesus said she chose “the good portion,” Barnes notes that Jesus meant, “The portion of the gospel; the love of God, and an interest in his kingdom. She had chosen to be a Christian, and to give up her time and affections to God.”

The Lesson

The point wasn’t that no one should serve Jesus and His guests. No, Jesus knew that serving was required of the host(ess). Rather, He was saying that Martha was doing too much service. She was being too exacting about it. Martha went above and beyond simple service. She had shifted from serving God and the people He came with to worldly service. That’s where she went wrong.

The same goes for us. Our motives matter. We can do mundane things for Christ like changing diapers of our kids or babies in church nursery. We can also do “Christian” things like volunteering at church, but our heart isn’t in it or we are just doing it for the line on our resume. Motives matter. Our first priority needs to be God and what He has for us.

One of the ways we do that is by sitting at Jesus’ feet like Mary did. When we are spending time with Him, we acknowledge that He is the rightful master of the house (of our heart – our spiritual home).

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World

This book and study combo is really great for digging deeper into these ideas. I’ve read the book and completed the study (twice!). Joanna Weaver does a really fantastic job of helping us not to shame Martha but take the best of what she did and put it in service to Christ. This study provides structured quiet time, spiritual growth, and helps us keep Jesus in His rightful place. I think you’ll enjoy this book and study if you are a busy person, like me.

Peter: A Young Man With Little Faith Who Looked Away (Matthew 14:22–33)

The Reading

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:22-33)

The Lesson

Ah, Peter. He loved the Lord so much, yet often got it wrong. I feel just like him many days! I love the Lord but don’t always show it well.

Peter begins the story with great faith. He takes his first steps in this faith example walking on water. Can you imagine!!?? Yet, later in this reading we see that the minute Peter took his eyes off Jesus he began to sink. The same is true for us.

The care of this life and fear pull our attention away from God. We look at our bank balance,  our kids struggles, our marriage arguments, our aging parents, and a house that desperately needs cleaning and forget all about what God is doing for us.

Jesus’ gentle rebuke: “O you of little faith” applies to us today, as well. We forget our faith in the distractions of this world. And it’s easy to do! Life offers so many circumstances that seem to force our eyes off the One who made the world.

This story teaches us to keep our eyes on God and the finish line. We need to stay the course. The process to the finish line may take longer than we’d like. Yet God is still in control. He still has an amazing plan for us, if only we stay on track. Staying focused on Christ Jesus will help when our own trouble comes knocking.

I love the Life Lessons series of Bible studies by Max Lucado. He provides clear explanation with thought-provoking questions to really get students thinking about the topic. In this case, he presents a study of 1 and 2 Peter. With this one Bible study you can learn so much more about this crazy, wonderful, dedicated, distracted disciple!

The Rich Young Ruler: Distracted by the Love of Money (Luke 18:18–25)

The Reading

A certain ruler asked [Jesus], “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”

 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:18-25)

The Lesson

The young man in this story wanted eternal life. Yet he was distracted by a love of money, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the things of this world. Like so many of us, the “shiny pretty” coins of Earth pulled his attention away from true belief and faithfulness.

This story is a tragic example of someone who chose his own life over following the Son of God. And while we can sit here and shake our heads about it, we do the same thing. I know I do. I let the desire for more overtake me. The more might be money or reputation or time…whatever it is that we want more than God.

The truth of this story about distraction reminds us about surrender, trust, and discipleship. We need to surrender our own wants and desires to God. His plans are always better than our own! We need to trust that fact with faith. And we need to practice discipleship.

In this wonderful book by John MacArthur you can learn about 12 Ordinary Men and how God used them to shape the world. Even more importantly, you can learn how God can shape you into a disciple, just like He did with those men. In the process, you’ll let the Holy Spirit lead you toward God’s purpose for and the great reward He has for you.

The Seed Among Thorns: Cares of This World (Mark 4:18–19)

The Reading

[Jesus speaking] “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” (Mark 4: 3-8)

[Jesus explains the parable] “The farmer sows the word.  Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” (Mark 4:14-20)

The Lesson

Jesus teaches the disciples and us about the cares of this world and worries of this life. He shows us that we need to do more than simply expose ourselves to the Word – and do more than just attend church on Sunday. We need to tune in and really connect with God through His Word.

The good seed (God’s Word in the Bible) can be lost when our attention is divided (when we are distracted). The small voice of God gets choked out by noise. And this world is very noisy! Between our home, pets, family, work, and constant connection we live in a world filled with noise.

But for believers, there is hope! This Scripture encourages modern believers to guard our spiritual life. We can’t let His Word get choked out by life.

One way we stay connected and choke-free is to study His Word. We dig deep, pray through it, and not let our thoughts stray.

The book I told you about earlier in this article is a good way to learn to train your thoughts. I also really enjoyed Max Lucado’s Tame Your Thoughts. Another excellent book about taking charge of our mind, Max clearly outlines simple steps to commit our thoughts and lives to God. It’s another book I strongly recommend.

The Older Brother: Distracted by Bitterness (Luke 15:25–32)

The Reading

[Jesus speaking] “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” (Luke 15:25-32, entire story Luke 15:11-32)

The Lesson

Jealousy and comparison are the hallmarks of distraction in this story. The oldest brother was distracted from the joy of his Father’s heart because he focused on his own story.

Like this older brother, bitterness keeps us from hearing the voice of the Lord and His heart for us. Bitterness is an ugly weed that grows deep roots. It’s best to pluck it out when it first begins to grow.

When we entertain bitterness our spiritual growth is stunted and we forget our first love – God. We begin to focus on ourselves and concerns of this life instead of what He has for us.

Through His Word, our Heavenly Father is calling us back to joy, grace, and relationship with Him. We just need to be listening and willing to take our eyes off our own perspective for a bit.

The Evil Servant: Distracted by a Long Time of Waiting (Matthew 24:48–51)

The Reading

[Jesus teaching] “But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:48-51 entire story Matthew 24:43-51)

The Lesson

Here, Jesus shows us that the evil servant assumed the master of that servant was delayed. He slips into a life of complacency and carelessness that became spiritual distractions. He began behaving in a way he would not have, had the master been home.

This story is a warning and comfort for followers of Jesus living in the “in-between” – that’s us, as much as it was the believers of the day. Jesus WILL return.

We are at that in-between time: He was here, He is coming again. It’s too easy to get distracted by anger and frustration while we wait. It’s easy to drink in excess, eat too much, and be rude to others in our distracted waiting.

But Jesus calls us to be faithful to the great work God has entrusted to us

Elijah: Listening for the Small Voice of God (1 Kings 19)

The Reading (excerpt)

The Lord said [to Elijah], “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:11-12)

The Lesson

In this story we find Elijah, a man of God who was overwhelmed by fear, exhaustion, and noise. Can you relate? He escaped his circumstances to find a place to talk to God. God says He will pass by and for Elijah to pay attention.

We’d expect some big, crashing cymbals, right? Maybe some thunder, lightning, and hailstones. The Lord sent a powerful wind, an earthquake, and fire. Yet those weren’t the voice of God, the presence of God.

Rather, He was in the still small voice, a gentle whisper.

From this, Elijah regained his focus and purpose. After he spoke with God and rested a bit, God sent him a helper (Elisha).

Elijah was so tired and scared that he got distracted from God’s call on his life. The same happens to us. Yet rest, renewal, and returning to the word of God refreshed him. And it will do the same for us.

While the story of Elijah is in the Old Testament, it’s still applicable to our lives today. Priscilla Shirer also has a study about Elijah. She’s the one I told you about above with the Armor of God study. I’ve also done the Elijah study and learned so much! He became real to me in this study in a way that simply reading 1 Kings 19 on its’ own never did. I encourage you to get this study and learn more about how studying Elijah’s life can provide you the key to rest and renewal to strengthen your faith.

David: Visually Distracted (2 Samuel 11)

The Reading

I’m not providing the entire chapter here, but I encourage you to read it for yourself.

The Lesson

King David, known for his devotion to God and leadership of the Israelites, experienced a season of distraction that dramatically changed his life and legacy. As described in 2 Samuel 11, David’s attention was diverted by Bathsheba, whom he saw bathing while he was on his rooftop.

This temptation led him to pursue Bathsheba and ultimately commit grave sins, including adultery and orchestrating her husband’s death. In turning his focus away from God and toward his own desires, David found himself separated from God’s path of righteousness.

Yet, even after these failures, David is still remembered as “a man after God’s heart.” The Bible reveals that while David stumbled, his willingness to repent and seek God’s forgiveness set him apart. His story serves as a powerful reminder that, despite the distractions and mistakes we face, God’s grace remains available, and genuine repentance can restore our relationship with Him.

There are many studies of David’s life. I particularly enjoyed this one. One of my sisters and I did this study several years ago and while it took us a while, the study was worth every minute. It’s in depth and really explores all we can learn from this man after God’s own heart.

Jesus’ Call Back to Focus

Jesus has many messages about focus, especially focusing on God.

Daily meditation on the armor of God is one way we can keep our eyes on God and keep from letting distractions take over our lives.

We can sit again at the Lord’s feet as Mary did, remembering that the most important thing is being with Him.

When we keep our eyes on the finish line, where God is, we fight distractions.

Likewise, studying the Bible (and who in the Bible got distracted) we keep our eyes and thoughts where they need to be.

We can also remember that the Spirit of God strengthens us for the Christian life. When we seek the Spirit we can prevent bitterness and jealousy from taking over our lives.

Returning to the good work God called us to is a step we can take away from distraction every day, focusing on Him.

We can reorder our lives around the Kingdom of God – putting Him first, where He belongs.

Every day we have a choice: allow ourselves to be distracted by this world or turn and focus on the One who made the world. Today, I choose Him. How about you?

Conclusion

The Bible is full of people like us—men and women who started strong but got pulled away by the cares of this world, the cares of this life, and the things of this world. Yet God’s grace shines through every story. Whether it was Martha overwhelmed by much serving, Peter sinking with little faith, a young man trapped by the love of money, or a distracted servant like David, God continually calls His people back.

And He calls us too. Through the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, and the gentle voice of the Lord, our Heavenly Father invites us to return to our first love, take up the whole armor of God, sit at Jesus’ feet, and follow Him with single-minded devotion.

The distractions are real, but so is the great reward of a life centered on Christ Jesus. May we choose the good part—the most important thing—and never let it be taken from us.

Peace,

🌸 Andrea

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