Author Archives: samuelrchoy

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Focusing on God more than on your problems

priority

Lately, it seems that my mind has been overly focused on my ADHD. I know, that sounds ironic. Anyway, if you any sort of problem, whether it be ADHD, depression, or chronic halitosis, the temptation is to dwell on that problem. We dwell on how to fix it, how it affects us, or how to work around it. We read self-help books and web sites about the problem. We learn about our problem on Wikipedia. We view videos about our problem on YouTube. In other words, when we have a problem such as ADHD, it can become the thing we think about most. But there’s a problem with that.

God wants first on our mind. He wants us to have him in our thoughts first and foremost. And even though He deserves to be first in our thoughts, that’s not the only reason he wants to be there. It’s because as we dwell on Him, He changes us. As we put him first, he takes care of our needs.

Matthew 6:33

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (NLT)

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ADHD, Laziness, Tasks

When you feel like the lazy person in Proverbs

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ADHD isn’t the same as laziness. But when I’ve tried all day to accomplish something and just can’t stay focused, all the verses from Proverbs that talk about the lazy person come to mind. And try as I might, it’s hard to avoid comparing the inability to focus to the sin of laziness. After all, how are they different if the outcome is the same?

The difference is in the attitude your heart. ADHD is a disability. Laziness, however, is the attitude that you don’t care about a task, so you’re giving it a half-hearted effort. God knows your heart. He knows you’re fighting against your own brain to get the job done. So be encouraged that struggling to stay on task is not the same as laziness.

I have found that practical actions, such as writing my tasks down, breaking tasks into small chunks, and taking breaks go a long way to help me get the job done. Whatever you do, don’t give up. Keep up the good fight and leave the rest up to God. In context, the following verse refers to prayer more than staying on-task. But I think the principle is the same.

Matthew 7:7-8

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. (NLT)

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ADHD, Disappointment, Forgiveness, Mercy, Regret

When you can’t take it back

Person feeling shame
There are some things you can’t take back–a word spoken in anger, an impulsive action, the consequence of procrastination. No matter how much we apologize, no matter how many reparations we make, we have many debts we simply cannot repay. What’s worse, we ADHDers are more prone to flashes of anger, slips of the tongue, and impulsive actions. We tend to do or say things we later regret more than other people do.

So what do we do when we can’t take it back?

Sometimes, the only thing we can do is run straight into the arms of God. Even so-called minor sins pile debts on ourselves we cannot repay. That’s why we must rely on the redemption that Christ gave us on the cross. God’s grace is big enough to cover our deepest sins and regrets. While there are consequences for our actions, God’s grace is still there in the midst of those consequences. So when you can’t take it back, when you can’t undo it, take it to God and let his grace cover it.

Lamentations 3:22-23 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (KJV)

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ADHD, Disappointment, Forgiveness, Mercy, Sins

Looking Back

A few weeks ago, I was looking for some old homeschooling documentation that I needed for one of my kids. As I was sifting through the boxes, I found reminder after reminder of the mistakes, sins, and missteps I had made throughout my life.

I got depressed and angry about them because I’m still living with the consequences of many of them. I’d love to say they were all a result of undiagnosed ADHD, but that would be a lie. What’s important to remember is that God has forgiven me for them all. He has separated them from me as far “as the east is from the west.” So I need to stop looking back at my sins and mistakes because they are covered by the grace of God.

What about you? Are you still looking back? It’s time to stop. Jesus died so that God could forgive you. If you’ve asked for forgiveness, rest assured that He gave it to you.

Psalms 103:12 NLT

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

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ADHD, Procrastination, Rewards

Rewards

I blogged earlier about playing zombie games. I had to ask myself what I like about them. Was it the bodies splattering? Was it the flying guts? Actually, it was neither. I noticed those games all had several things in common. First, they give you goals to achieve. Second, as you achieve those goals, you are rewarded with things like upgrades, coins, or the privilege to move to a harder level. That combination is perfect for motivating the ADHD mind.
The next time you’re having trouble keeping on task, write down what it is you want to accomplish. What do you want to do? Read the Bible in a year? Complete that essay? Write a memo? Sell so many widgets? Write it down so that it is real to you. Next, write down what the reward will be. It can be a tangible reward (I’ll get an increased chance of promotion) or an intangible one (I’ll have a sense of accomplishment).
If you are going to do this to achieve your goals, I suggest you start off small, otherwise, you’ll get discouraged and start the whole procrastination cycle over again.
Phillipians 3:14 (NLT)
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

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Habits, Sins

Killing your zombies

I love zombie games. Unfortunately, I enjoyed them so much, they were keeping me from doing important things, such as writing this blog. After hours of wasted time and cramped thumbs, I decided to delete them from my iPad. For me, zombie games started consuming my life goals and ambitions like a zombie consumes human lives in the movies. I had to get rid of them. What about you? Are there activities, habits, or sins that are keeping you from your dreams? It could be that there is morally nothing wrong with that activity, except for the fact it’s eating your life away one bite at a time.
We sometimes need to take drastic actions to stop doing the things that keep us from living our best. This is especially true for ADHDers. So if God is dealing with you about an activity, try to see it as He does: as a nasty, disgusting corpse gnawing your hand off.
Matthew 5:30a NLT
And if your hand—even your stronger hand —causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away.
P.S. Jesus was using hyperbole to prove a point. I don’t think He was advocating self-dismemberment.

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ADHD, Procrastination

Obsessive Procrastination

One of the reasons I started this blog is to help myself get over something I call obsessive procrastination. I think of obsessive procrastination as the reluctance to do now something I should have done yesterday. Or last week. Or three years ago.
Yeah.
Procrastination is a classic symptom of ADHD. Everyone procrastinates, but ADDers can make it an art form.
It’s weird. Anything that I love or want to do, I catch myself doing all the time, especially when I shouldn’t. But the moment that activity becomes something I should do, a mental barrier to doing it forms in my mind.
That’s what happened to Attention Defecit Devotional. I was loving it. I had a very small, but loyal readership. And then, the blog became something that I should do. But before I realized it, a month, then two months passed, and I had made no entries. That’s an eternity in cyberspace.
I can relate to the Apostle Paul when he writes, “I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. (Romans 7:19 NLT)”
I wish I could tell you that I’ve conquered procrastination and will now share my secret.
I can’t.
What I can encourage you to do is to constantly surrender that area of your life to Christ. When you stumble, take responsibility for your actions (or inactions), then trust in His grace and forgiveness.

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ADHD, Hyperfocus

Hyperfocusing on God

Here’s a peculiar phenomenon that occurs with me. When something grabs my interest, I can hyperfocus on it to the point that I neglect other important things in my life. However, if that thing with which I was so enamored becomes a responsibility, my mind quickly finds something else to get its interest in. Most of the time, it’s one of the emergencies that occurred from the neglect of the other areas in my life.

This blog for instance. It’s been two months to the day since my last post. For that, I apologize. Lots of shiny things have been swirling around in my life–some important, some not so important. And they drew my attention from Attention Deficit Devotional.

Until this morning.

I had the thought that I need to put my interest back on God. What could be wrong with hyperfocusing on Him? Are you an ADDer struggling with your spiritual life? Try to stop seeing it as a chore. Instead, picture the benefits of putting your interest in God. When you do, Bible reading, quiet times, and prayer become things of delight. And you’ll do them out of the love of God. Not just another item on your to do list.

Romans 8:5 (NIV)

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

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ADHD, Priorities

Priorities

Sorry it’s been so long since my last post. That’s one of my typical ADD traits. Start strong, then don’t fallow through. I recognize, though, that a trait isn’t  an excuse.  So I feel that, at least for me, this and the following post are timely.

As an ADDer, you might feel that your life is chaotic, as all the shiny objects in the world (and there’s a lot of them) vie for your attention. Typically, the organization experts will try to help structure your life by telling you to write down your priorities, make lists, get organized, and develop a complex filing system.

At least for me, that doesn’t work. And how is this a devotional? I often feel that my life is in chaos. Especially at times when I’m looking for that one important piece of paper: the one I saw yesterday. The one I made a mental note to put away. The one that’s now dropped off the face of the earth. During times like that, it’s important to stop, get centered on Christ, and remember that our first priority is to serve Him. Then let Him fill your mind and heart with peace. Then, maybe it won’t be so hard to navigate through the clutter in your life.

Matthew 22:37-39

Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (NIV)

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Disappointment, Mercy

Disappointment with Myself

I had a disappointment with myself yesterday. That happens a lot for people with ADHD. What I found most discouraging was that in everything related to this disappointment, I could see where ADHD gives me trouble. But I couldn’t say, “It’s not my fault. It’s my ADHD.” In fact, with this knowledge, I have more responsibility, not less.

Starting today, I’m going to have to find a better strategy for staying on focus. But the good thing is that today is a new day. The past is behind me. I cling to the following verse on a daily basis. It gives me hope because the Lord’s mercies are new every morning.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV)

It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

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