I'm addicted to my phone

The other day I did something I've never done before. Something that shouldn't feel like a big deal, but sadly I felt like I had lost an arm.

I walked into the grocery store without my phone. I know your jaw is probably on the floor. I put my phone in my console, wrote my list on a piece of actual paper, and finished my whole trip phoneless.   

I was secretly hoping that when I got back there would be a slew of texts and missed calls so I could prove to myself that I needed to have it at all times. But guess what? I hadn't missed a thing. There were ZERO notifications on my phone when I got back. 

Liberated, I did it again. I did it for every errand I ran that day and every time I missed absolutely nothing. It got me thinking. Why do I think I need to be available to the world at all times? I’m obviously not missing much, so why do I make having my phone on me a priority?  

Then deeper, more haunting questions came flooding in. Why do I not make myself available to God at all times? Why do I ignore Him when He puts a prompting on my spirit to pray? Why do I neglect my time with Him some days? Why do I check my phone more than I check in with my Father?

I still haven't come up with a solid answer to this but here’s what I think it is. I care SO much about what other people think. Whether that be what they think of me, the world, or the newest trend. But my interest (nosiness if I’m being real) in other humans lives numbs me and I like it. I like taking out my phone and forgetting the stresses of the day. I like scrolling mindlessly so I don’t have to think about what I need to be doing. I like not thinking. And it scares me. 

As people who live in a digital world we’ve all run into this problem. If you haven't I applaud you. We’ve encountered the addictive power this little rectangle thing in our hands has on us. By letting this little device control us we are missing out on real experiences with real people. 

When I left my phone in the car it’s like my eyes were opened to actually seeing the world around me. It’s not that I had a life changing conversation, but I got to make eye contact with people. I got to look at people in the aisle and smile as I passed. I got to have a conversation with the checkout clerk about how her a/c is broken in this horrible Texas heat. I’m not saying these things wouldn't have happened if I had my phone. I just couldn't ignore the fact that I felt a little more present than I usually do. 

What really sparked this conviction about my phone was an interview I heard on a podcast. The man was talking about the ways that our phones are changing us and told a story about his son. They were on vacation and the son wanted to jump off a high cliff into the water. The dad told his son to go ahead, but he wasn't going to video tape it. The son got so upset and yelled, “Then what’s the point?!”  

We are always searching for ways to put our best face on the internet and show off to the world, whether we realize it or not. Just like that boy we think if we can’t capture an experience on camera then what’s the point of doing it at all! I was so struck by that story because I am so guilty of putting on my best face for the world to see. Of stalking my posts to see how many likes I’m getting. Of being disappointed when I lose followers. Of being a slave to the glowing rectangle in my hand. 

I know I’ve made phones and social media sound like the devil, which let’s be honest sometimes they are, but there are also ways that we can use social media in a positive way. It’s when we become so addicted that we can’t ever put it down that we need to be careful. We need to create healthy boundaries for our devices. 

Things I’ve slowly changed in my life and still need to work on are pretty simple. I leave my phone in a different room when I pray and have time with God. I make sure my phone isn't the first thing I look at in the morning. I also really try to not take my phone with me to dinner. I have not mastered any of these, trust me! 

I wanna challenge y'all to change something in your life to disconnect yourself from your phone or whatever device you find yourself running to. Be present with the people around you. Be open to talking to God more throughout your day. He loves hearing from you and calls you to go to Him with everything! 

Also, before you post something ask yourself if it will be beneficial to people. Will it make them smile and uplift them? Are you being real? If not, I would be honest with yourself of what the motivation is behind it. Use your platform for a purpose. We have the amazing opportunity to connect with hundreds of people all at once! Point people to Jesus and remind them how loved they are. I’m not saying every post has to be a bible verse. Just make sure it’s positive and adds to peoples day in a healthy way! 

This post is SO convicting, it hits me real hard. I have a lot of work to do. Creating healthy boundaries for my phone is a slow painful process but it’s so necessary. Let’s all put our phones down a little more often and just be with our people. Let’s think before we post. Let’s love the people around us just like Jesus did, instead of burying our faces into a screen. Most importantly, let’s make ourselves available to God more than we do our phones. Let’s begin to shift our focus from the digital to the divine.