We are all so connected these days. Anything that can cause us stress is probably in our pocket. Our phones are filled with emails reminding us of work to do, impossible standards to compare our lives to via constant updates on social media, bank apps that won’t let us forget about our money situation. It becomes virtually impossible for us to shut down when our whole world is always powered up in our palm. The good news? God has a solution. He is the solution. Jesus often disconnected from the world around Him, and went away by Himself to spend time with His Father. John 5:16 tells us that ‘Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed’ (NIV). Have a read of Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:3, Mark 6:46, and Luke 6:12, too. We know that in our hyper-connected society, and the constant noise that we surround ourselves with, the idea of disconnecting really can feel lonely. We can become more in tune to the world around us than we are to God’s ‘still, small voice’ that’s been trying to get our attention (1 Kings 19:12 NIV). Silence becomes scary when our default is constant information. We’re intimidated by the idea of being left alone with our own thoughts. But with God, we’re never alone. He’s waiting in the stillness and silence for us to give Him enough space to become the only thing on our minds. Those moments, when it’s just us and God, are when our spirit comes to rest and we can find true, Heavenly peace.

What Now?

However daunting it may sound, commit to switching your phone off and finding somewhere silent the next time you read the Bible. That may mean dusting off your hard copy paper Bible instead of using an app. See if you notice any difference to how you feel at the end of the day.