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Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty, is divided between God and the world. James 4:8 (NLT)
12 Exchanges in Laying Down Distractions to Draw Nearer to God [and Life]
A few months back I made the decision to lay down all distractions in order to complete a few major projects, this included my phone. Little did I know this would be the beginning of an incredible journey with the Lord.
I wouldn’t say my phone has ever been an idol, but if something is above our relations with the Lord, or hinders it, this is considered to be an idol. One evening after feeling the familiar unrest from scrolling social media, I had to ask myself a serious question. “What are you looking for?” Furthermore, when it came to my relationship with my phone, I knew my time on it was not productive. I am that person who likes to make the most out of time, efficiency is one of my love languages. Spending time on my gadget, even if doing nothing else in the passenger seat, would often cause feelings of insecurity, inadequacies, and general unrest. I had to ask myself another important question, “How is this for your soul?” If you think anything is an idol or as James says, causing division between you and God, ask yourself how it makes your soul feel. God will speak to you about idols, distractions, and anything that isn’t good for your soul, you simply need to ask Him if you don’t know.
Exchange #1
I exchanged my passenger-seat-time with looking at the scenery-enjoying God’s creation, conversing with the driver, or reading a magazine on road trips.
I have always believed that multitasking is overrated. Perhaps it’s the yoga that has caused me to live a slower-paced, mindful life, but it’s a myth to think that our new-age gadgets help us to be more efficient. Cognitive science and recent studies on multitasking show that it takes an average of 15 minutes to reorient back to your current task after a distracting ping, refreshing the email, or scrolling through socials. Because of the constant distractions efficiency has actually decreased by 40%. Other issues such as long-term memory and creativity can decline because of the brain’s constant ‘switch-backing.’
Why would we [ever] exchange the authentic for the fake?
Author Jim Rohn says, “When you’re at the beach be at the beach, and when you’re at the office be at the office.” Learning this caused me to learn balance in every area of my life. This particular statement helped me keep emails at the office. If I do email, I keep it at the office on the computer, never on my phone. If we make the effort to plan a getaway, I want to be fully present and soak it all up! No technology is allowed. If you are like me and only use the phone to call people or take photos, buy a separate camera.
I can help you break up with your phone if you let me. If you think you can’t do it – you can. You may ask if such a task is easy or even possible. I would then ask you, “Is any habit or addiction easy to stop? Is it possible” Easy – no, possible – yes.
I am not going to sugarcoat this for you. It is not easy. Is it worth it? 1 million percent it’s worth getting your life back, YES! Once I learned Jim Rohn’s principle, and not just learned but applied it, I began to live in balance with work, ministry, and family. Once I learned the sabbath rest of God (it’s a commandment) my life changed. I began to enjoy the rest of God as well as be present and mindful with whoever I was with and wherever I was at. I began to enjoy [real] life and not be, as James says, “divided between God and the world.” Why would we ever exchange the authentic for the fake?
Exchange #2
The office for the phone.
Work is done at the office. No working on the phone/using apps unless it’s an emergency case.
Exchange #3
Authentic instead of faux.
Real-life, real people, real places, and being mindful of all of them.
Exchange #4
Peace and Balance instead of being busy and chaotic.
No more living as if your hair’s on fire all the time.
I would love to tell you that I broke up with my phone for spiritual reasons, though it wasn’t the foremost reason it was the greatest by-product. He says if we draw nearer to Him (we act first), He will draw nearer to us (James 4:8). I feel pretty connected to God, but He can take you deeper and to greater heights if you let Him! I wanted to break up with my phone for my brain and for my soul. I wanted to give both a rest.
Yet it only created more space for the Lord to breathe on me and speak to me in mighty ways. I inadvertently created space for the flames of passion to be fanned and for the sparks of creativity to be reignited. I later learned what our phones are doing to us on a cellular level (yes it’s a pun), physiological, and physical level. The truth is our body is decaying at rapid rates because of our addiction to technology. Our peripheral vision is becoming obsolete, our spine is a mess, and many youths in this generation are unable to verbally communicate or write longhand. The consequences of our digital age are detrimental to the brain and body. Even though I am not on my phone 4-8 hours a day like many, I could [physically] feel my eyeballs, brain, and soul were weary.
I inadvertently created space for the flames of passion to be fanned and for the sparks of creativity to be reignited.
Exchange #5
Passion and creativity reignited instead of stagnant, lost, or bored feelings.
Exchange #6
Clarity instead of confusion.
Hear God’s voice – He makes things [crystal] clear.
Breaking up with Mr. Phone to Enjoy the Real Mr.
I have always set boundaries on my phone. My husband Derek and I leave our phones at home when going out together, we have practiced being present for quite a while. He and I didn’t grow up [attached] with phones.
I longed for the time when phones were tethered to the wall and human beings were free. We simply started living this way again.
Exchange #7
More time, conversations, and belly laughs with my SMOG (Sexy Man of God)!
Gone are the days when my screen gets more time than my man!
Exchange #8
We control our phones; they don’t control us.
Live in such a way that you imagine your phone attached to the wall, not your body. Be free!
I longed for the time when phones were tethered to the wall and human beings were free.
My phone lives on airplane mode often and when it is on, it’s silent. In the afternoon I turn it on so that my morning time is spent first in devotions and then a current project gets my greatest brain power time mid-morning. In the afternoon I turn my phone on. Though I felt as if I had a healthy relationship with technology, I noticed when I’m in the passenger seat of the car, standing in line, or waiting at a table for someone, it’s, unfortunately, the thing most of us grab to abide our time or keep from being present. A tactic of the enemy is to keep us busy and constantly plugged into a false reality. He doesn’t want our mind, body, or spirit to rest. But God does.
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves]… Heb. 4:11 (AMP)
Exchange #9
Enjoying and appreciating God’s every creation.
Instead of looking at a screen (waiting at a restaurant, standing in line, etc), I look at people, design, decor, nature, and even ask God, “Show me, what do you want me to see?” You’ll begin to notice His beauty everywhere.
Indeed, we must make an effort, as in – it’s going to take some work to enter the rest that God desires for our souls. Think of it as planning a vacation. It’s a lot of work planning to go away for a week or two, but isn’t it worth it once you get there? I also think of a restorative yoga posture. Sometimes it’s a ton of work setting up for a restorative posture. All the many props used to ensure rest, warmth, and comfort can take a long while setting up but trust me, it’s worth it to enter into that sacred rest.
If you need a Sabbath rest for your soul, you’re going to have to make every effort to achieve this.
This is what Hebrews 4 is telling us. It’s going to take work. You have to ‘make every effort’, labor, and work at achieving this rest of God. The Amplified version further explains this rest as something you can know and experience for yourself. If you need a Sabbath rest for your soul, you’re going to have to make every effort to achieve this. The intentional effort it takes to break up with technology will afford you more time to enter into God’s rest.
Exchange #10
Rest instead of unrest.
My soul found true rest, a rest and a peace that the world cannot give or comprehend.
Technology and gadgets are not bad. They keep us connected to friends and family, they assist in helping us share events or bring attention to an important cause. Unfortunately, they keep us too connected with everything and everybody. Look at who you follow, are friends with, or are connected to.
- Do you know them?
- Should they be seeing your life (kids’ school, numbers on the school bus and on the porch in your last selfie, where you hang out…)?
- Should you be exposed to their life?
- How much connection is too much?
- How much news can your brain and heart handle?
Feel free to leave a group, unfriend, and unfollow as much as your heart desires. Before leaving social media, I did this. As I unfollowed people and accounts who I didn’t really know, were a part of my past, models, or celebrities I once admired, I continued to say, “It is no wonder my soul feels the way it does.” Why are we connected to people that we are not aligned with? Connections are attachments and often portals, positive or negative. Attachments are important, and it is imperative that we are attached to the proper travel mates on this journey called life.
Exchange #11
Healthy attachments in exchange for toxicity.
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see. Detach from people and pages that you have no business connecting with.
Attachments are important, ensure you are attached to the proper travel mates.
I wanted to exchange the false for the real. I noticed a devotional that I’ve had for years was similar in size to my phone. I decided to start picking up God’s word instead of my phone. It also connected me to my aunt Rita who gave me the devotional as a high school graduation gift. I reflect on our relationship as she is no longer alive, it helps me get back to basics, I also return to my first love of the Lord, instead of whatever false reality I might reach for in a phone.
On average we pick up our phone five times every minute. Like zombies, we are not sure why we are constantly picking up our phones. Why? It’s a question we need to ask ourselves. What are we looking for? I guarantee you that what your soul needs is not in your phone.
Exchange #12
God’s living and breathing Word instead of what the world is saying.
A life truly transformed by God’s Word, living and active on the inside of me.
…our altars may become waste and desolate, your idols may be broken and brought to an end. Eze. 6.6
Exchanges in Review:
- Exchange #1
- I exchanged my passenger-seat-time with looking at the scenery-enjoying God’s creation, conversing with the driver, or reading a magazine on road trips.
- Exchange #2
- The office for the phone. Work is done at the office. No working on the phone/using apps unless it’s an emergency case.
- Exchange #3
- Authentic instead of faux. Real-life, real people, real places, and being mindful of all of them.
- Exchange #4
- Peace and Balance instead of being busy and chaotic. No more living as if your hair’s on fire all the time.
- Exchange #5
- Passion and creativity reignited instead of stagnant, lost, or bored feelings.
- Exchange #6
- Clarity instead of confusion. Hear God’s voice – He makes things [crystal] clear.
- Exchange #7
- More time, conversations, and belly laughs with my SMOG (Sexy Man of God)! Gone are the days when my screen gets more time than my man!
- Exchange #8
- We control our phones; they don’t control us. Live in such a way that you imagine your phone attached to the wall, not your body. Be free!
- Exchange #9
- Enjoying and appreciating God’s every creation. Instead of looking at a screen (waiting at a restaurant, standing in line, etc), I look at people, design, decor, nature, and even ask God, “Show me, what do you want me to see?” You’ll begin to notice His beauty everywhere.
- Exchange #10
- Rest instead of unrest. My soul found true rest, a rest and a peace that the world cannot give or comprehend.
- Exchange #11
- Healthy attachments in exchange for toxicity. Oh, be careful little eyes what you see. Detach from people and pages that you have no business connecting with.
- Exchange #12
- God’s living and breathing Word instead of what the world is saying. A life truly transformed by God’s Word, living and active on the inside of me.
To find out more on how you can live a life free of technology, join me for a live Master Class Workshop July 13th, 5:55 pm PST for “Breaking Up to Break Bread: An Untethering of Technology” which includes YogaFaith for Freedom.
See here to see the GREATER > than shirt collection inspired by unplugging to < PLUG INTO TRUE SOURCE.
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