Iced in. Quarantined. And I have a problem. I don’t know how to be bored. I think we’re all bad at being bored in today’s world. We’re uncomfortable with free space.
We can’t go 6 seconds without being stimulated by something. Then we immediately reach for our phones or itch to get back to that Netflix show or jump to tweet this or __(you fill in the blank)__.
How can we expect to encounter a spiritual God (John 4:24) if we can’t pause long enough to allow for spiritual interaction? There’s no room for quiet, no space for Him to speak because we’re demand immediate gratification.
I wasn’t born with a smartphone in my hand, but I’m realizing more and more that it’s way too much of an extension of my person. It’s turned from a communication tool into a mechanical extension of myself. (An extension God didn’t intend as part of my identity).
In his book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, John Mark Comer says, “We are more busy than bad, more distracted than nonspiritual.” And I agree - we all have the capacity for a deep spiritual connection with God, but we’ve settled for constant distraction.
And when our souls feel empty and worn; when we can’t find peace at night or seem to hear God’s voice - the simple (but painful) question is, “What space have you created for Him to speak.”
Space: a continuous area or expanse which is free, available, or unoccupied. No cell phone. No tv. No music. No media. Just free, available space for God to speak.
We’re afraid of what we might find if we’re left alone with our thoughts, feelings, hurts and dreams. But the only place God can speak to those areas is the space where we create an opportunity for Him to inject His Spirit. Constant distraction is keeping us from the Father.
So here’s to a new week. A new chance to create some space. My plan is to embrace some quiet today (and everyday of the week) - to accept the silence rather than run from it. To embrace the uncomfortable boredom and pursue God in the middle of it.
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