Over the weekend, I was up north at my aunt and uncle’s cottage. We went out to eat for dinner. At a table next to us, there was a couple with their daughter, who looked to be about 11 or 12 years old. For about 15 minutes, the father scrolled through reels on his phone. I will not pretend to know what this man’s relationship with his wife and daughter is. But seeing him scrolling through videos on his phone while sitting at a table with his family is a reflection of people’s addiction to phones. When seeing this, my first thought was, if we cannot connect with the people right in front of us, how can we connect with God?
It’s overwhelmingly clear that our society has a problem with phone use. Most of us, myself included, can probably improve in this area. How are our phones impacting our relationships with others, and most importantly, our relationship with God? How often do we say we are too busy to commit to something, or too busy to pray more, yet we fill empty pockets of time with mindless scrolling? We must work to prioritize our time and choose what is really important. This doesn’t mean we can’t spend some free time doing something mindless on our phones, but that it should not take over our days.
Phones can be used for so much good and can be used as a great tool. We can communicate quickly with others, stay in touch with family and friends who we may not see often, we can share pictures and updates, we can look up any piece of information we might ever want to know, and so much more. When it comes to our faith, they can also be used for our benefit. We can listen to different podcasts and watch videos to learn more, we can read articles and reflections, we can use apps, like Hallow, Ascension, Relevant Radio, and many more to help us pray. There are so many resources that we have available at the tap of a button that can help us grow in our faith. We simply need to take time to evaluate if the time spent on our phones is helping our relationship with God, or pulling us away from Him.
Last summer, I was on an eight day retreat in Wyoming and my phone stayed back in Wisconsin. That alone was one of the many reasons why it was one of the best weeks. We were able to just live in the moment, connect with each other, and more deeply with God. It was so refreshing and freeing, knowing that I didn’t have to look at or check any screens and that the older adult leaders had their phones and were taking care of any logistical needs and emergencies. The way our world works, most of us will not have opportunities to be without our phones for that long of a time, but even taking shorter breaks away from our phones can make a huge difference.
Any time that we are with others, outside of our homes, it is an opportunity to love the people in front of us, by giving them our full attention. This may mean just existing in silence together, not always having to be in conversation. And any time that we can put aside our phones and limit the distractions, it is a time to speak to God and to allow Him to speak to us.
Our phones are powerful pieces of technology that can pull us away from God or bring us closer, helping us have a strong connection. We can all work to improve and use our phones as tools rather than distractions. When we are able to connect with the people around us, we are able to experience God within them. And when we are able to connect with God, we are better able to know and hear His voice.
What apps or resources do you use on your phone to pray and connect with God? Feel free to share!
Faith and The Good Stuff 