Flipbooks

I've found the 1-1-1 principle to be a helpful guide when considering how to steward the gift of technolo- gy alongside rest, social connection alongside private reflection. It goes like this: This allows our hearts and minds to quiet and slow, cre- ating space for stillness, prayer, and reflection. Follow- ing the 1-1-1 principle helps create an ongoing rhythm for media consumption, an aid for remaining grounded and Christ-focused in a chaotic world. One Hour Each Day: Choose a waking hour outside of work to intentionally put your phone away. Perhaps you start the first hour of your morning without your phone or the local news. Instead, use it as a time spent with the Lord in His Word and in prayer to Him. Or may- be your one hour is in the evening before the kids go to bed. It's an uninterrupted, TV-free hour of quality time spent connecting with your family. Whatever hour you choose, set intention around it as a sacrifice unto the Lord—and as a balm for your soul, which is bombarded all day with the notifications and pings of the world. One Day Each Week: God's command to remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy, or set apart, isn't just a recommendation. While the use of technology can aid in our study and experience of scriptural teachings on the Lord's Day, what would it look like for you to spend one day each week without your phone? Maybe this isn't possible because of the responsibilities placed upon you during this season of life. Perhaps you try for half a day or one day each month. The focus here is to develop routines that help us use our time intentional- ly and purposefully. My husband and I have sought to keep a 24-hour Sab- bath since the beginning of the pandemic. While that doesn't happen every week, we've seen the fruit of slowing our pace, quieting outside voices, and spend- ing intentional time celebrating, delighting, and resting in God's word. Our phones stay in the office for the day (with emergency calls set on ring). The quiet and lack of stimuli can be uncomfortable as our bodies detox from constant connection. But the outcome is deeper thought, purposeful time, and increased dependence upon our Savior. One Week Each Year: What would it look like to inten- tionally set apart one week each year to go without the use of your phone or internet? What benefit might you gain from completely unplugging for an extended period? This kind of sabbatical creates space for deeper work or projects, and a longer time to be with the Lord, His people, and His creation. For my family, this in- cludes spending a week together in the Northwoods— an area of the country where WiFi is still spotty. We en- joy taking in creation, fishing, hiking, eating good food, and engaging one another in thoughtful conversations that only seem to arise when other distractions are at bay. You don't need to find a place with spotty WiFi. Using airplane mode or the do-not-disturb function can silence your phone without you having to leave your house. The 1-1-1 principle is just one way to explore what it looks like to remember the Sabbath Day and create rhythms of work and rest, connectivity and solitude. In the end, it's not about keeping this pattern perfectly but about caring for your body, mind, and soul. Just as Sabbath was made for man, not man for Sabbath, so, too, technology was made for man, not man for technology. Taking breaks and finding rhythms for connection and reflection encourages us to maintain a balanced life—one that seeks first God's kingdom, abides in Christ's love, and knows true joy. w Take a break from using social media: One hour each day. One day each week. One week each year. Keep devotionals with you at all moments of the day with the improved Portals of Prayer app. Play audio clips, read daily devotions, say prayers, and more, all for free from the App Store or Google Play Store. Find this title and others listed in Lutheran Life at cph.org/llresources. PORTALS OF PRAYER APP Lutheran Life 21

• Cover