They slow down and sit up a little straighter so they can see more of the action.

Rubbernecking can lead to accidents or cause traffic to be backed up for hours just because one person had to slow down and see what was going on outside their car.

Unfortunately, there's a danger that is far more likely to cause you distraction on the road, something almost all of us carry around with us all the time-cell phones.

(Hold up your phone.)

There's a reason texting, and even talking on the phone in some places, while driving is illegal.

People who use their phone while driving are almost three times more likely to get into an accident than those who don't.

Just like there are distractions when driving, we have distractions in our spiritual lives too.

Read Hebrews 12:1-2 (NCV):

"We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means. Solet us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back.
Let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But he accepted the shame as if it were nothing because of the joy that God put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God's throne."

Our goal as Christians is to "look only to Jesus"...to focus on our relationship with God. But it's so easy to get distracted.
The Bible tells us to "remove from our lives anything that would get in the way”. In other words, don't get distracted from your personal relationship with Jesus.
Distractions come in many forms: sin, problems, successes, friends, family, school, girlfriends/boyfriends etc.

Instead of focusing on the distractions, focus on Jesus.

Having a quiet time where you dedicate a chunk of your day to being with God is a great place to start.

It gives your relationship with God a solid foundation.

Note: Use this free lesson to help students develop a quiet time in their lives.
Coming to youth group (or church), singing praise and worship songs, and attending a small group are some other ways to focus on God.

But what about the rest of your life?

You spend about 7 hours a day at school.

You might play sports or do some other after school activity that takes up a few hours a week.

You're on your phone texting, watching YouTube videos, snap chatting, and on Instagram.

You might watch some TV on Netflix too.

Or maybe you do other stuff in your spare time. Most of your life is spent doing these things. Why do you separate everyday activities from your relationship with God? How can you focus on God while doing what you do all day long?
The key is to look for what God is doing in your life and those around you. Be aware that God is always doing something in your life.
He's always up to something good.

Just ask God to show you what he's doing, then be on the lookout for what that might be.

Trust your gut.

Trust the Holy Spirit's soft voice within you.

Be willing to respond to whatever it is that he's showing you.

Here's a couple of examples...

Let's say you have a science teacher that you really hate. She’s mean to you and your classmates.

She gives you a lot of homework, and her tests are really difficult.

Instead of just complaining about how horrible she is, maybe you could pause and ask God what to do about the situation.

Maybe this situation is an opportunity for you to learn patience and humility. Boom! There's God at work in your life.
Maybe you start crying during a scene in a movie on Netflix (use a personal example here if applicable).

You're moved deeply.

Maybe that's God speaking something to you in that moment. That could be God at work in your life.

Let's say your best friend does something horribly mean to you. So bad that it ends your friendship. You pause and ask God for help and insight into the situation.
Maybe that friendship needed to end so that you could open up yourself to other friendships that are even better for you.
That's God at work in your life.
(Give an example in your own life).

Instead of putting "time with God" and "time doing life" in separate compartments, blend them together.

Notice what God is doing in your everyday life as you go to school, hang out with friends, play sports or other activities, spend time on social media, etc.
Okay, here's another idea to think about. The distraction is sometimes the way.
What often looks like a distraction away from God can actually bring you closer to God. Let’s take a look at the life of Joseph.
His full story is written in Genesis 37-50.
Joseph was misunderstood by his family, rejected by his brothers and sold into slavery. He became the slave of Potiphar, an officer to the king of Egypt (the Pharaoh).

Read Genesis 39:3-6.

"Potiphar saw that the Lord was with Joseph and that the Lord made Joseph successful in everything he did. So Potiphar was very happy with Joseph and allowed him to be his personal servant. He put Joseph in charge of the house, trusting him with everything he owned. When Joseph was put in charge of the house and everything Potiphar owned, the Lord blessed the people in Potiphar's house because of Joseph.
And the Lord blessed everything that belonged to Potiphar, both in the house and in the field.So Potiphar left Joseph in charge of everything he owned and was not concerned about anything except the food he ate."
Joseph remained loyal to God.

The situation forced him to focus on God, who proved himself faithful to Joseph. God gave him favor with Potiphar, who put Joseph in charge of his entire household. This was a big deal for a servant. It was an honor and privilege to be in that position. Then, things took a dive for the worse.
He was falsely accused by Potiphar's wife and put in jail, but Joseph continued to focus on God.

Here's what happened next.