God or Phone?

I want to start out by saying, you obviously don’t have to pick between God or the phone. However, in my life, I have found that those two often compete with each other. 

Not because they have to, but because I can constantly have my phone in my hand and become more consumed with that than the God that is ever-present with me.

So, interesting fact… I started out writing this in the Google Docs app on my phone.

Yeah, that’s how much our phones can be attached to us. We check our emails, we can turn in our homework assignments, we check social media updates, listen to the notification dings, and even do blogging on our phones.

It’s like having a mini computer at all times. We can even watch movies and our favorite Netflix series right on this tiny device that can control our lives… Literally! Because, we can't forget the Calendar programmed in our phones.

THE REAL QUESTION!

I think it is concerning when the first thing we pick up in the morning is our phone and the last thing we put down at night is our phone. I mean, sometimes we even have Bible studies on our phone. We have our favorite apps that we use for our devotion time. And again..girl, I do it too!

So, you see why I would name this blog post title as it is. The simple question is...Do we have a greater relationship with our phones than our God? That’s the real question!

Sister, we know the right answer, don't we? We know the answer should be God. But, we have to truly take a look at our motives and see what’s really going on in our hearts.

PHONE-LESS FOR A DAY?

If someone were to take your phone for a whole day, what would happen? Would you be totally anxious and in need, like you would for a drug? Would you be able to make it through the day? 

For myself, I’d hate to admit that I would have some trouble. A lot of the things I do are on my phone. Including ministry! But, the phone is not everything. It shouldn't be everything. 

WHAT WE MISS!

We miss our family because of our phone. I’m not saying that we aren't around our family... I’m saying that we can be in the same room with them and be miles and miles away, even countries away, on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. 

I was convicted of this directly from someone I love. They asked me if I would join the family? I realized what they meant was would I be 'consciously present' with the family at that specific time? Would I put my phone down?

We had an event happening, and I was too busy editing pictures to share. That gentle rebuke caused me to evaluate some things. Like, how often I was not present in the room of 30 loved ones?

Some of us use it to satisfy our introvert needs. We don’t like being around a whole bunch of people. It drains us and so we use our phones to distract us from the people around. 

THE NON-TANGIBLES!

Some of us are just so consumed that we don’t even notice, like me!! It’s really heartbreaking to know that we are sacrificing our 'now,' the things that the Lord has placed in our day 'today,' for the things that we can’t tangibly touch. 

We can't tangibly touch that beautiful mountain that we liked on Instagram. We can't tangibly touch that family's kids that we adore (But don't even know)! However, we have our nieces and nephews that we push away. We have our mothers and fathers who we don’t look at as we eat dinner. 

MY PERSONAL CHALLENGE!

We can go throughout the whole day while being in a whole different world.

So, I did a challenge. For an entire day, I decided that when I was around people, I would be present. Then, when I wasn’t around people, I'd use that free time to do what I wanted.

I planned ahead when I needed to do something before being around other people. If I wanted to snap a picture or take a video, I'd do that quickly and then put my phone away. 

Let me tell you, it was so refreshing to actually be. To 'be' with my family! It's refreshing to actually see the beauty in what the Lord has made, outside. The trees in the sky and the flowers were so beautiful when my mind was clear and not just focused on my phone. 

APPRECIATION OF THE NOW!

I appreciated things that the Lord has put in my life, not just so I could take a picture of them. But just because they are gifts given. Right now, I am typing this outside. I hear cars passing by. I hear birds chirping, and I hear a buzz from the electric lines. 

I see beauty in the dead leaves that have fallen from the trees, and I also see beauty in the richly stained greenery from the grass and the living trees. I see the family dog musing around. 

I see the lightning bugs. I feel the humid air of Mississippi. I am intentionally focusing on what’s around me, instead of what I can click or scroll through. What do you see around you right now? 

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Have you even noticed? It's a good chance you are using your phone to read this right now, but take a second to look around. What do you see in your 'present?' 

Now, again, I use my phone every single day to edit things, to take pictures and videos, to 'Instagram,' to 'Facebook'... and I love it! 

It’s a great way to connect with other brothers and sisters. An excellent way to encourage each other. But, it shouldn’t replace our 'now.' 

It doesn’t have to be one or the other. It doesn’t have to be God or the phone. It can be both. But, the priority should be God first. If we found that small computer causing us to have a greater love for it than our God, it’s an idol!

IS IT AN IDOL?

We must call it what it is. It’s not pleasing God to have our phones and other gadgets as other loves. He is to be our first love! It’s hard. The world makes it so easy to love it more. But again, it doesn’t have to be one or the other. 

I just want to challenge you to take a day of observation. Pick a day where you will only observe natural habits. Then, see if there is space for you to enjoy the people that are around you and the space that God has placed you in right. 

FOCUS ON YOUR NOW!

See if there is more time in your day where you can focus on God and His Word and read helpful books. See if you can be balanced. Balanced not equally, God first and most importantly. Then your family. Then the gift and blessing of our phones.  

Like everything else a blessing can turn into an idol very quickly if we don’t keep it in check. Let’s be women who are after God's own heart and have balance. Most importantly, we must love our Savior more than we love anything else. 

THE TRUE KING!

We shouldn't let media and our phones take His place. He should be the King on the throne of our hearts, and nothing else should take Him off of that the throne. He is most deserving of it! His blood says so!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!