Lately I’ve been wondering if they are putting more commercials on TV than they used to. 

It’s hard to tell because in one hour you have about fifteen to eighteen minutes of commercials. You can hardly get into watching a show without being interrupted by commercials that seem to go on and on. 

And because some of the commercials are only fifteen seconds long, they just seem to keep coming at you. 

The reason I’ve been wondering this is because I’m getting back to working out regularly. And I watch TV while I work out.

Usually the best programs to watch are sports events because they fit commercials in when there is a break in the action, and not at perfectly timed intervals designed to thoroughly annoy you. 

Movies are second best to watch because they have a few less commercials than regular TV programs. 

The whole thing with the television and working out is that it distracts you from what you are doing. 

I have a rowing machine – it’s the same motion over and over again. Believe me, it is boring. There is nothing you can do to make it fun. But if you can watch something that takes your attention away from what you are doing, you can just keep on rowing.  

The time goes by fast.

The problem with commercials is that they don’t grab my attention … well, unless I’m watching my daughter’s commercial and then I’m engaged (watch it here).  

But the majority of the time, the only thing commercials do is cause me to notice how long I’ve been rowing. And how much more time I have to go. 

The little screen on my rower shows me how hard I’m rowing but it also shows how long I’ve been on the machine. Believe me, it never tells me I’ve been on as long as I figure I have.

Without commercials getting in the way, you just get lost in the action of the sport or the story of the show. Before you know it you are done working out.

So the other day I decided to watch some football, thinking it would be perfect, that I’d just get into the game. I wasn’t rowing long before the team lost possession and they went to commercial. The game came back on, but after the very next play there was an injury so they went to commercial again. 

They were only back from the commercials for maybe three minutes when the two minute warning sounded … and they went to commercial again. 

Normally commercials during sporting events are only about a minute. Not these; they broke from the action for about two to three minutes each time. To top it off, they kept showing fifteen second commercials so I had to row through eight or more commercials every time.  

It was like I was at a game. I was yelling at the TV like I would a referee, only I was yelling at the commercials to stop. I couldn’t take it any longer. 

I’m just glad I finished rowing by half time – there are way too many commercials then.

Here’s the thing: There are things in our life that may be causing an hindrance, disruption or frustration to our growth in Christ, or the quality of our relationship with Him. From time to time it’s a good idea to ask yourself what those things might be and then move to eliminate or diminish them. You will then find you enjoy Christ more.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What might be an interruption in your life right now? Leave your comments and questions below.

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