Media Fast
Media Fast
Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts. (Ps. 90:12)
My grandmother washed clothes in an old-fashioned washing machine. It didn’t have a spin-dry cycle; instead she put the clothes through a wringer that extracted the excess water when she cranked the handle. Grandma never owned a dryer; she hung clothes outside to dry when the weather was nice. During cold Midwestern winters, she hung the laundry on clotheslines Grandpa had hung in the basement. She didn’t have the modern conveniences of a dishwasher, color TV, computer, cell phone, or DVD player.
Today most of us have more gadgets than our grandmothers and great-grandmothers could even dream of. But there is a downside to all of our modern conveniences. Recently the Lord showed me that while things like cell phones and computers can be convenient, they can also be time wasters. I began to realize that I spent far more time sending text messages, surfing the Internet, and watching TV than I did praying and reading my Bible.
So I began a weeklong media fast. It was hard not to run to the computer to check my e-mail a dozen times a day or text a friend with the latest news. But the Lord showed me that spending time with Him is as vital as air and water. It requires time and a quiet heart. So now I slow down from the busy pace, turn off all the noise, and listen for His still, small voice.
If you’re struggling with your schedule, submit it to the Lord and ask Him to help you use your time wisely. Psalm 31:15 says, “My times are in your hands” (niv). Get off the treadmill of frantic activity and learn to be still in His presence.