DAILY DEVOTIONAL ✝️ 

Attention Infidelity

I learned a new “thing” this week.. it’s called attention infidelity. I call it a thing because I don’t know what to call it. 

It’s giving much or all of your attention to something other than your mate or closest friends. It’s an affair without a significant other.

To some extent, most of us suffer some level of this. It’s because we all (most all) carry a “significant other” in our pocket.   

 

• Cell Phones: 98% of U.S. adults own a mobile phone of some kind.

• Smartphones: About 91% of Americans own a smartphone.

• Senior Citizens: Even among adults aged 65 and older, around 94% own a cell phone.

• Teens and Children: Nearly all teens and children own a phone by age 15, with kids getting their first phone at an average age of about 12. 

 

So what’s wrong with that? Some are referring to it as “brain rot,” the state of being entranced by an infinite stream of sensical and often nonsensical stuff on our phones. We blame kids for this,  but honestly, are adults any different? Constant online scrolling breeds a form of spiritual sluggishness. We may recognize the mental toll of digital saturation,  yet remain passively, or actively, addicted to it.

So consider doing the following:

 

• Consider phone free church services. Many of us (myself included) use a phone to look up scripture or commentary, only to go down a rabbit hole that distracts from the message the presenter has worked tirelessly to prepare for us.

 

• Cultivate a religious reading time.  Consider the amount of time you are online, and make a decision to devote at least as much time to true Bible study.  If the preacher says, for example, “read Acts as a companion to today’s sermon” take the time to do it!

 

Just remember, the Bible won’t rot your brain!~jme