Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.

How I spend my time has long been a thing I have wrestled with, specifically concerning my phone. I know I spend too much time on it, and even when I purposely work to decrease that time, I often soon find myself right back in mindless scrolling and searching. I am frequently convicted of how I give more time to my phone than I do to God, and that is an awful feeling for me. I give so much time to a thing that adds nothing to my life, rather than time to the One who gave me life.

Having a child has helped me put my phone down more and really consider my time, as I don’t want her to see me on my phone all the time and think it is more important than giving my attention to her. Shouldn’t the same be true of how God sees me? But anytime I have a few minutes to myself, I am quick to start scrolling and get sucked into 20 minutes of wasted time. When I consider my ever-growing to-do list, I often realize that I could have spent 20 minutes doing dishes instead of on my phone or that quick little 5-minute scroll could have been used to check in on a friend, or better yet, pray for a friend. 

Recently, as I was getting ready for bed and thinking about the time I had spent on my phone that day, the Lord spoke this idea to my heart: “If I can make the time to be on my phone, then I can make the time to pray.” And then: “What kind of power/movement am I missing God doing by scrolling instead of praying?” And that stopped me in my tracks. What kind of answers to prayers might I see when I give God my time rather than a 3x6 piece of plastic?

I know this passage is about people working to earn a living. But for me, it resonates in not being idle in my relationship with God. To use the time I would have spent on my phone to seek Him wholeheartedly and sincerely, believing in His movement and power. To be productive physically and spiritually. 

This doesn’t mean I have fully warded off social media or online shopping, and I’m not telling you to either. But I am far more mindful of the time I give my phone and am careful to limit it significantly. Are there things to which you give your time that need to be limited in order to spend more time with God?

There is nothing greater we can give our time to than the One who gave us that time in the first place. He gives us all things so that we may honor Him, our time included. It is a precious gift that we don’t get back. I want to honor God with mine, not in idleness to idols.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.

• SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
• OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises?
• APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you?
• PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.