Scattering Abroad

“He who is not with Me [believing in Me as Lord and Savior] is against Me [there is no impartial position]; and he who does not gather with Me [assisting in My ministry], scatters.” (Luke 11:23 AMP)

The average U.S. adult spends seven hours a day scrolling on screens. If you think that most of this time must be for work related usage, it isn’t. More than half of our peak scrolling is done in the evenings--mostly on social media, YouTube, and online shopping sites. Mindless browsing wastes time and energy. It deteriorates our attention span and our health.

Even though I know all this, I spend a lot of time online. I justify my screentime by saying it is for useful purposes. I don’t use social media or do online shopping. Mostly, I use my laptop for writing and research. BUT-- when I am tired, I find myself gravitating to some mindless YouTube videos or reading Reddit message boards about topics that interest me. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with this. After all, I am not hurting anyone else. I am “productive” the rest of the day. I deserve to do some mind-numbing activity to relax, don’t I?

Well, this year I decided to do a 90-day fast before Easter. Along with several dietary changes, I restricted my screentime to content that was absolutely necessary for doing the work that God had assigned to me. I can’t describe how hard this was. Without the constant dopamine hits, my body and mind went into withdrawal symptoms. I regretted my decision for even committing to such a thing. I couldn’t wait for Easter to go back to my old normal.

Then, on the 67th day of my 90-day fast, I heard the above Bible verse read aloud during church. The word ‘scatters’ caught my attention. I thought about all the ways I voluntarily dissipated time, attention, and energy. I had justified these practices because they had been normalized. What I thought were harmless habits caused my body and mind to seek relief in things other than God. This realization was uncomfortable. I didn’t really want to change. But I prayed for Divine assistance. The path of recovery is a day-by-day battle. It’s too soon to tell how I will fare in the long run. I can’t do this on my own will power. I am relying on the Lord to help me.

Jesus, wean me off of habits that scatter time, attention, and energy. Give me the desire and the discipline to do what honors You.