Podcast – Habits and Technology with Justin Whitmel Earley
We all have habits – whether good or bad. This means we all have rules surrounding our lives, we just might not know what we are aiming for in these habits and rules.
The smallest habits have dramatic effects. Throughout Christian history, there has been a philosophy that the small things become the big things. A rule of life is a pattern that brings structure and discipline to your routines and patterns. They are habitual and subconscious routines that pull your life in a specific direction. More than this, our habits determine where we place our identity.
Two of the biggest habits are technology use and relationships. In both of these areas, our goal is to become more like Christ and less like the world.
Technology Use
How we use our screens says so much about whether we are following Christ or not.
Justin provides two main habits to incorporate:
Scripture comes before our phones
Turn your phone off for one hour each day. This provides a true rhythm of “off time.”
Human beings were made to be present. The gift of Adam and Eve in Eden was that they were with God and with each other. The story of the Bible is God’s presence with us.
The reason we are around people but not with people is because of the advent of screens. Additionally, due to phone use, there is a constant fracturing of presence with others. The goal is to develop rhythms, not rules.
Make off time the default with carefully chosen on times. Dinner times and bedrooms should be no-phone zones. The goal is to love people more, not less. This is extremely significant for community development.
Embodied Relationships
The goal in this section is to create a habit of friendship. In the Garden of Eden, we get a picture of God creating Adam. God proclaimed it was not good for Adam to be alone even though Adam was with God. God made us to experience Himself alongside other people. That’s why he created Eve to fulfill this desire for companionship. We were made for God but also made to be with other people.
When we do not live in the rhythm of community, we fall apart physically and spiritually.
One action item for this section on friendship is to arrange a habit in your life for friendship. Create a schedule of friendship by devoting one hour a week to cultivating deep covenant friendship.
Recommended Resources by Justin:
Brittany Proffitt lives in Dallas and is a writer and content manager for So We Speak.
