Maximizing Spiritual Growth and Minimizing Distractions

We live in an age when many people are oftentimes distracted. Our eyes are glued to our phones, laptops, or other screens all throughout a significant portion of the day. Technology has taken over and this is especially obvious when you see two people out at dinner, staring at their phone screens, communicating virtually instead of communicating with each other in person.
 
I love and appreciate technology, especially social media. I love seeing what my friends and family are doing, sharing in their milestones, and supporting them from the comfort of my bed. However, all of this endless scrolling takes up more time than we realize. And as a Christian, one issue I face in my faith (also as a busy dental student, wife, friend, etc) is finding enough time to spend with God every day.  I make all sorts of excuses and find myself struggling to spend even 30 minutes in devotion and prayer. Why is this so difficult? Because maybe I still need to learn how to maximize productivity and minimize distractions – more specifically, how to maximize spiritual growth and minimize distractions.
 
This is a concept I’ve been thinking about for some time now… How can I spend my time in a way that is spiritually productive? Although I’m referring to spiritual productivity here, the principles discussed can be applied to other areas of life as well. Due to all the newfound ways to be distracted, this generation of believers is struggling to concentrate in prayer and devotion. What can we do to combat distraction, particularly from technology? Here are a few ideas that Lord has led me to on my journey to seek Him more.
 

1. Put your phone away every day for some period of time – for me the best time for this is in the morning while I have quiet time with God. Choose a time to silence your phone and place it away from you. In this time, don’t worry about who might be texting you or the latest post on instagram, just concentrate on being in the moment, present with God and listening for His still small voice. The same principle applies to any other situation where you can silence technology in order to be fully present in the moment.
2. Assess how connected (or addicted) you are to social media. In 2018, many people literally can’t go more than 2 hours without checking Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Some feel as though they HAVE to see what’s going on at all times. Consider limiting your time online – in so doing, instead of thinking about what everyone else is doing, think about what’s going on here and now. Instead of comparing your experiences to other people’s experiences, appreciate your life and what’s going on now. Instead of dwelling on what you don’t have or where you can’t afford to go, concentrate on where you are presently and all that you’ve been blessed with.
3. Put your use of time into perspective – as you go throughout your day, try to ask yourself how important the things you’re doing are and how much time is being spent on each task. There are apps and websites that can help you track the exact number of minutes spent online. The new iphone update has a feature called “Screen Time” which does just that.

 
These are just a few of the ways to maximize spiritual growth and minimize distractions. What do you do to make sure you’re connecting with God every day? I would love to hear more tips of yours in the comments. Until next time, continue to make the most of the time you have and #bloom.
 
<3 Beryl

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