LIVING FAITH

In life we sometimes forget just how important it is to unplug from our digital devices

MARCH 1 this year was the annual ‘Global Day of Unplugging’.

‘What’s that?’ you may ask. Well, it is no secret that we are increasingly connected to the world around us.

Smartphones, tablets, Wi-Fi access and the internet have enabled us to be connected to the entire world 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This offers endless possibilities and has, of course, widened many people’s horizons immensely by showing them what the world is like thousands of miles away.

However, there are also times in our lives when we seem to forget just how necessary it is to step back from our digital devices and other gadgetry and actually perform the ancient art of speaking face-to-face with people and observe the world that is all around us; not just the pixels forming images of reality on the screen in front of us.

Switching off has so many benefits. Our own self-care is vital in order to flourish. To appreciate and enjoy our surroundings we need to be fully ‘present’. This is virtually impossible if our phone is pinging notifications every few minutes!

Endless adverts and social media posts can make us feel inadequate. It is easy to compare oneself with others and lose sight of our own self-worth.

Being alert to others and their needs through physical observation and interaction can benefit both them and us.

I don’t know about you, but I get a great deal of satisfaction from being able to help someone in need, whether that need is great or small.

Similarly, seeing the beauty of nature all around us can be uplifting and engender an ‘attitude of gratitude’, as well as making good use of all our five senses. Switching off our gadgets is primarily about creating quality time for ourselves and others.

As a Christian, learning to spend that quality time with God has not been an easy journey for me, but

I’m getting better at it with practice. Sometimes, it really is about ‘switching off’ the distractions of life, and I find that being attuned to the needs of others and myself certainly helps in my prayer life.

There are so many situations and people to speak to God about, as well as so many things for which to be grateful.

Psalm 46:10 tells us, “Be still and know that I am God.” For me, listening to God, or rather, discerning when He is speaking to me, is far more difficult.

I have been waiting to hear His voice telling me what I should or shouldn’t do, amongst other things. While this might happen for some people, it hasn’t for me. I used to feel disheartened but have learned that there are so many other ways that He communicates with His children.

God has spoken to me through scripture when I read the Bible, through the glory of His creation, through His Holy Spirit, through events and circumstances, and through the people He has placed in my life.

I am absolutely certain of this, and of the fact that when we lose some of the distractions of life, we gain precious things that we might otherwise miss.