is happening whether we like it or not.
“There is seldom a period in which we do not know what to do, and we move through life in such a distracted way that we do not even take the time and rest to wonder if any of the things we think, say, or do are worth thinking, saying, or doing. We simply go along with the many “musts” and “oughts” that have been handed on to us, and we live with them as if they were authentic translations of the Gospel of our Lord.” —Henri Nouwen, The Way of the Heart
Mark 4:1-20 CSB
18 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. —Mark 4:18-19 NLT
Nothing crowds our
and
quite like the digital world.
The quickest way to
is to be careless with
.
“To have our attention violently pulled in every direction (social media, news, Netflix) de-centers us and makes us anxious people easily swayed into fear and apathy. We become incapable of practicing the way of Jesus. Digital distractions pull our devotion away from God and back onto ourselves. They numb our minds with dopamine and make us chase our next “hit.” We become slaves to entertainment, news, social media. Digitalism trains us for instant satisfaction and immediate results which is antithetical to how spiritual formation works.” —Caleb Martinez
The practice of
.
“The inward reality of single-hearted focus upon God and his kingdom, which results in an outward lifestyle of modesty, openness, and unpretentiousness and which disciplines our hunger for status, glamour, and luxury.” —Richard Foster, The Freedom of Simplicity
The practice of simplicity is removing the number of
distractions,
desires, and
dishonesties that keep us from living a joyful life in the kingdom with Jesus.
Mark 1:32-35; 6:30-32, Luke 5:15-16; Matthew 3:16-4:2
The only way out of the chokehold is going to the
.
“It is vitally important to withdraw to the desert in order to combat the dictatorship of a world filled with idols that gorge themselves on technology and material goods, a world dominated and manipulated by the media, a world that flees God by taking refuge in noise.” —Robert Cardinal Sarah, Power of Silence
What are ways we can remove the number of digital distractions that are keeping us from living a joyful life in the kingdom with Jesus?
You won’t go to the desert if you fear you’ll be deserted.