WARNING! Reading this may turn your
world upside down!
I recently came across a very interesting and challenging article from Outreach Magazine entitled “Do You Need a Digital Fast?” The author feels that those who regularly use digital devices and media such as cell phones, text mail, email, tweets, YouTube, gaming, iPads, iPods, television, Xbox, Play Stations, PCs, Macs, and laptops should consider setting aside days for fasting from their devices!
Yes, I said days. Surely a digital fast could not have been inspired by the Holy Spirit, could it? Talk about turning your world (and mine!) upside down, wow!
A typical Biblical fast involves denying oneself food and is accompanied by an increase of prayer. The hunger is turned into an intense time of seeking God in order to draw closer to Him, to ac-quire spiritual direction, or to experience greater power from the Holy Spirit. Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, was known to fast from food for up to 40 days at a time. He had this to say about fasting: “I believe the power of fasting as it relates to prayer is the spiritual atomic bomb that our Lord has given us to destroy the strongholds of evil and usher in a great revival and spiritual harvest around the world.”
A digital fast is not about giving up food. Instead, it is pro-posed to help believers who are consumed with digital devices totune out the many consuming distractions that can cause us to neglect our personal relationship with God, our marriages, our family members, our spiritual and secular responsibilities, etc.
One way to approach your need for a digital fast is to ask yourself a few probing questions about your daily “digital” habits and use such as:
• Do you experience a constant compulsion throughout the day (and night) to constantly check your Face Book page and/or other electronic messages?
• Are personal texts, posts and emails taking time away from family, work, schoolwork, Bible study, mission, prayer time, etc.?
• Are you looking at having carpal tunnel surgery in the near future because of nerve damage from excessive and continuous texting?!
Here are some good suggestions from the article:
- Start your day screen-free. If you’re in the habit of doing personal devotions in the morning, resolve to not turn on your computer or look at your cell phone until you’ve done them (pg – excellent idea!).
- Find what dulls. Seek out those things that tend to dull your mind instead of sharpening it. Are there certain websites or media you use only when you’re bored?
- Delete and unsubscribe. Stop visiting particularly wasteful web-sites. Unsubscribe from blogs with no redeeming qualities.
- Take a digital fast. Set aside days for fasting from all digital media. The more difficult it sounds and is to do, the more important it is for you to do it.
Here’s a reader’s comment who tried the digital fast:
“My husband and I did a 7-day digital fast, and it was so hard. I could not believe the amount of time we spent in front of the TV, on our phones and computers, and just not
communicating or reading the word together. That week was so powerful in helping reconnect with each other and to really grow as a Christian duo.
So, back to the question:
Are you in need of turning your digitalworld upside down with a digital
fast?? It’s a question that I’m going to address as well….as soon as I
check my emails!
- Pastor Gary Petersen
- By: firstchurch
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