Reflections

You know how people say the car is the best place for a conversation? Well, evidently that’s true for conversations with yourself and with God, as well.

Monday night, I was overwhelmed and a little frustrated as I was preparing to go work out. As I got in the car, I was itching to numb out and distract myself from this mood with some music or a podcast. Unfortunately– or more likely, fortunately– I remembered that as I practice digital simplicity this week, one of my commitments was phone-free travel time. No music. No podcasts. “Ugh,” I thought to myself, “right now is a time I really wish I could just listen to something… which I suppose means that this is the exact type of time I need to sit in silence.”

… 

One of the big themes of the discipline of simplicity is extricating yourself from a life of distraction. This is why our digital life is a great area to apply simplicity. Phones, computers, televisions, and gaming consoles are all rife with brain-altering lights and algorithms, Pavlovian buzzing, and an escape from anything uncomfortable– like my bad mood. 

By practicing simplicity in our digital life, we change almost every aspect of our life for the better because screens have grown like weeds into every nook and cranny of our day. 

Along with travel time, I committed to screenless meals. I typically read a book on my phone while I eat and enjoy this brief leisure in my day. But as I have been eating without distraction, I have discovered that I feel less busy. I think this is because my mind has more time to process my circumstances, think through my to-do list, work through my emotions, and also respond to my children who are usually eating nearby. I subconsciously assumed that being able to enjoy leisure like reading and tv made life feel more relaxed. I was wrong. When I stopped clawing for every moment of leisure, I actually had more margin and felt less stressed. This was a surprise for me. 

… 

As I drove in silence, I realized a song lyric from my “Simplicity Soundtrack” playlist had been cycling in my mind. It was in the background, and I wouldn’t have noticed it without my ride being devoid of noise. 

“Am I in charge of my own mind? Or is it in charge of me?” 

This repeating lyric is (once again) by Jon Guerra as He sings about Matthew 6:25-34 in his song, “I See the Birds.” Mostly the song, like the passage, is about anxiety, providing for oneself, and planning for a future we can’t control. But God seemed to be applying it more broadly for me. Am I going to let my anger and overwhelm control my words and attitude? Or am I going to tame it? 

This isn’t something that just happens by willpower. It happens by training. This is the purpose of spiritual disciplines. If God decided, once we surrender to Him, to just overhaul us in the blink of an eye, this wouldn’t be necessary. But, instead, He chooses to raise us like children, teaching us good and wisdom, and helping us make the choices of our own free will. But we have years of bad impulses ingrained in us. So we utilize spiritual disciplines to retrain us so when the moment of real testing comes, we can stand firm in the power of the Spirit, not giving into temptation. 

While it is so minor, that car ride was my first little test. I wanted to numb out. Instead I chose to sit in silence and was rewarded with noticing God’s voice through the lyric.

Practice

As we simplify our life, pursuing the Kingdom and purging the distractions, we must consider the wisdom of our screen usage. 

To begin, REFLECT. You could journal or just spend time meditating and praying about these questions.

1. Walk through your day. At what points do you currently use a
    phone, computer, tv, or gaming system?

2. What is good here?
    a. Which of these times are screens necessary for function?
    b. What allows me to practice my gifts and passions?
         (hospitality, music, exercise, gardening, generosity, etc.)
    c. What is beautiful and/or reflects God’s Kingdom values?

3. What is unnecessary or unhelpful?
    a. When are you using screens more than necessary?
    b. How can your screen usage be twisted to keep you distracted,
         discontent, or overwhelmed?
    c. When are you most often mindlessly using your devices?
         (waiting times, before bed, during meals, etc.)

Based on those reflections, PRIORITIZE what is most valuable.

1. How can you use your devices to love God and other people more?

2. How can you reduce your device usage to love God and other people more?

3. If Jesus were living in this era of screens, how might He use and avoid them? 

Based on those reflections, SUBTRACT what is extraneous.

1. Purge your apps. Get rid of things you don’t need or that perpetuate distraction,
    discontentment, envy, and selfishness.

2. Put boundaries on your time. Instead of being a slave to your apps or work email,
    consider either removing them from your phone or turning off notifications. Then, only
    check them at specific times. 

3. Use your settings to your advantage. Phones have tons of customizable settings to
    help those who are interested in using phones less. Here are a few ideas:
    a. Grayscale your phone. It’s much less attractive to look at so it stops drawing your
         eye and attention.
    b. Turn off notifications for everything non-essential.
    c. Use screentime and locking apps after a time limit (or download an app like
         “One Sec” or try a product like Brick)
    d. Set a schedule for “Do Not Disturb” so your phone only notifies you of things
         between certain hours.

4. Schedule intentional screenless times. Consider these times to be device-free:
    a. Meals
    b. Running errands
    c. Sabbath (or one day per week)
    d. An hour before bed (charge your phone in your kitchen, use an alarm clock)
    e. Time with God
    f. When waiting

Your Turn

We are in the clutches of devices. Untangling them from our lives is not easy. In fact, to even convince yourself to try these, you may have to actively remind yourself of the goal: experiencing life with Jesus more purely. “Do I believe He is worth any sacrifice? Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief.”

But by picking a few things, we begin to see that it is both possible and, surprisingly, desirable to be free from our current digital dependence. Being screenless more often really does result in more peace, joy, and presence as we get better sleep, process our thoughts and emotions, and have greater awareness of God and others. Comment below which subtractions you’re trying!