One remedy for distraction is to become aware of— and then drill into ourselves— the conviction that time is a precious, limited resource.
As a result, we are called to be good stewards of our time.
The concept of stewardship has a rich biblical heritage.
From the book of Genesis, which emphasizes stewardship of creation (see Genesis 1:28 and 2:15), to the Gospels, which emphasize stewardship of our talents and resources (see Matthew 25), the general idea of good stewardship is a familiar one.
What is less familiar is applying this idea to time— to the days, hours, and minutes of our lives.
We tend to see our distractions as generally harmless: what does an extra few minutes on Twitter matter?
But even leaving aside for the moment the more deeply engrained habits such practices can engender, those extra few minutes here and there add up to some small but significant amount of our life and our attention that could be, and ought to be, devoted to more important, more noble tasks.
In short, although we clearly derive some kind of enjoyment from our distracted use of technology, it is largely superficial and ultimately not very meaningful.
As men, we are made for great things— not always great in the eyes of the world but great in the eyes of God.
Work is a noble and great task when undertaken with diligence and excellence.
Marriage is a noble undertaking, as is raising a family together.
Sharing the good news is a lofty endeavor.
But achieving greatness takes not only know-how and effort, but it also takes time.
There is no fast track to great work, no short cut to the profound and lasting enjoyment that comes with striving for and achieving lofty goals.
Thus, we must be vigorously intentional when it comes to planning and spending our time.
Once this conviction takes ahold of our consciousness, it will also occupy our examination of conscience.
To examine our conscience regularly— ideally, once or even twice every day— provides an apt moment to reflect on our stewardship of time.
Have I been faithful to the Lord in each of the moments he has given me and in each of the tasks he has set before me?
Have I poured myself out in each minute of the day, giving my mind, heart, soul, and strength to the vocation I have embarked upon?
Turn to Jesus— he knows what it means to labor with love and attention, as he did so at St. Joseph’s side in Nazareth.
Ask him to grant you the grace to be aware of how you spend your time and the grace to guard this time specifically for the work he has given you to do.
