The Challenges of Discipleship in an Age of Distraction
We are living in an age of unprecedented access to Christian teaching. Sermons, podcasts, reels, devotionals, quotes, and theological commentary now travel faster than ever, reaching farther than ever, demanding less of us than ever. With a few swipes, a believer can listen to the most celebrated voices in the global Church—sometimes several of them within the same hour.
And yet, something is wrong.
Despite the abundance of exposure, many believers are less rooted, less formed, and less able to stay with a single truth long enough for it to shape their lives. We are exposed to more ideas than any generation before us, yet increasingly unanchored. Many believers remain under-formed—overstimulated, yet unrooted.
We are living in an age of unprecedented access to Christian teaching. Sermons, podcasts, reels, devotionals, quotes, and theological commentary now travel faster than ever, reaching farther than ever, demanding less of us than ever. With a few swipes, a believer can listen to the most celebrated voices in the global Church—sometimes several of them within the same hour.
And yet, something is wrong.
Despite the abundance of exposure, many believers are less rooted, less formed, and less able to stay with a single truth long enough for it to shape their lives. We are exposed to more ideas than any generation before us, yet increasingly unanchored. Many believers remain under-formed—overstimulated, yet unrooted.
Digital platforms are not neutral. They are formative. They do not merely distribute content; they shape consciousness. They train us—quietly and relentlessly—to favor speed over depth and reaction over reflection. Over time, they disciple our instincts: what feels authoritative, what feels relevant, and what feels worth staying with.
The Bible presents formation very differently. The blessed person meditates on the law of the Lord Day and night. Paul speaks of being renewed in the mind—not informed, not inspired, but renewed. Jesus warns that seed sown in shallow soil springs up quickly, only to wither just as fast. Friends, formation is slow. Genuine attention must be sustained over time if transformation is to take place. There are no shortcuts here.
Attention, not access, is our greatest spiritual battle.
I have come to think of our present condition as intellectual window shopping. We sample ideas the way we browse storefronts—lingering just long enough to notice, nod, and move on. A reel here. A clip there. A quote, a moment of insight, a flash of resonance. None of this is inherently wrong. The danger lies in the pattern.
When engagement becomes perpetual sampling, we rarely remain long enough for truth to confront us, correct us, and ultimately change us. Exposure begins to replace contemplation. Inspiration substitutes for formation. The writer of Hebrews describes believers who have become “dull of hearing”—not because they lack information, but because they lack endurance and practice. The problem is not access. It is attention.
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