I love technology. Most of the time.
I’m so glad that I can play peek-a-boo with my 20-month-old granddaughter via Skype–even though she lives 8000 miles away. So happy that I can text a funny picture to my son (his favored mode of communication) in the middle of the day and get a “ha-ha” from 400 miles away in only seconds.
But sometimes technology crowds my life, distracting me from what’s really important. Even as my nose is in the Bible, my ears may be listening for that important call. I close my eyes to pray but keep peeking at my phone.
Spiritual disciplines have been around for thousands of years. When Christians first began these practices there wasn’t a Spiritual discipline called “Unplugging” because there was nothing to unplug. They didn’t have to deal with the distractions of email, text messages, and Facebook. But even then they felt the need to get alone with God. Jesus Himself often rose early and retreated to a lonely place to pray.
After one particularly busy day when people were coming and going, Jesus said to His disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31).
Hear Jesus inviting you to a quiet place today:
Come away to a quiet place and get some rest. Silence that cell phone. Turn off the Internet. Ignore Facebook posts and text messages for a while. Take some time to bask in the stillness and hear My voice. The noise, the busyness, the cacophony of technology threatens to down out My peace. So sit in stillness and rest your soul.
So how do we practice Unplugging? What are some practical ways to find quiet from technology? Here are some suggestions:
Each week choose one day to unplug. I celebrate the Sabbath by worshipping God with my brothers and sisters in Christ and by staying off my computer. After six days of writing, blogging and dealing with hundreds of electronic messages, unplugging feels like a breath of fresh air to my technology-suffocated soul.
Each day choose an hour or two to unplug. Turn off your cell phone at eight o’clock. Get out your Bible and journal and spend some time reading God’s Word and hearing His words of love to you.
Choose a period of time to fast from social media. Use the time you would have spent on Facebook or Instagram to read a devotional, listen to Christian music, meet with friends in real life.
Limit your technology use. Choose an amount of time to be online and stick to it. It’s easy to get caught up in all the Internet rabbit trails. Set a timer and stick to your time commitment. The remainder of the day you can rest your soul from the noise of modern life. Have a backup plan for when you’re tempted to go beyond the time limit you set. For instance, write out the Scripture for the day and when technology tempts, meditate on God’s Word.
This week hear Christ’s invitation to come away to a quiet place. Find that quiet in silencing the modern world for a while. Discover rest in God’s peace.
Next step: Decide how you will practice Unplugging this week. Download this free resource to guide your meditation on God’s gift of quiet and rest.