Posted in
Marketing and Technology by Jeff Goins on 9/22/2009
I was
Skype-chatting with a friend yesterday, and he said, poking fun at me: "You pretty much know all there is to know about modern Christianity. In fact, I read your blogs instead of the Bible now..."

We both had a good laugh about it, but in afterthought, I wondered how true that really is -- in our super-fast-paced, techno-centric world, how many of us who are seeking to lead spiritual lives are losing touch with our contemplative side? Are we reading blogs instead of the Bible?
I know that there are days when I wake up and immediately turn on my computer, drinking my coffee in front of the morning's emails without the slightest thought of reading scripture or praying.
There are days when I go to bed and realize that I didn't ask God for... anything. With my computer and cell phone and social media, I'm tempted to believe that I don't need God. A fast-paced life steals away from us the quiet moments of reflection that remind us that we are not gods and that we are still very much dependent upon our Creator.
I'm not saying that technology is evil or anything; it's just easy misuse. Like, the other night, I spent an hour browsing prices of different products on
Amazon. Awhile ago, I stayed up late to look at all the different movies I could watch on
Netflix (but not watching
any of them). When we have the world at our fingertips, we sometimes don't know what to do with it (the world is pretty big). When I spend too much time in front of a computer screen, at a desk, or sitting on a couch, I begin to forget myself -- I mean, my real self, and the spiritual realm around me.
That's one of the reasons I'm going on a
hike through the White Mountains in a week. I need to take a break from all of this technology. I need to choose the Bible over my favorite blogs. I need to spend some time in the wild, remembering that while Christianity is fairly domesticated, God is still wild... and so am I.
I'll be praying for your "wander in the wilderness with God" - I pray every Christian will set aside at least one 40 hour retreat alone with God every year. I've done this now for a few years and have experienced the most wondrous things.
For me, I find it best if I take my Bible, my journal, some worship music, and maybe one discipleship book I want to read. I leave my laptop at home because it usually becomes a distraction for me. I sit in silence and solitude with God, just hanging out with Him - and those have been my best experiences with God.
I pray for God to reveal the deep things of God to you.
There is a balance to all things, of course. I sometimes wonder if, when on vacation, I'm enjoying my time away from the world, or simply reminding myself of His joy I should be focused on each day instead.
All the best!
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