Time

The concept of time has been around for ages, but only recently has it shifted so dramatically. Everything we do in life revolves around time. There is a time for this and a time for that. It is engrained into the fabric of everything we do.

In the 1300s, a town in Germany placed a clock in the middle of their town. This seems like a simple change, but this ended the use of the sun to help with how the society operated. Everything in their life began to revolve around the clock. This fundamental change shifted people to have to be mindful of where and when to go places and what they got done in a certain time of the day. It expanded the length of the day as there was this shift from using the sun to knowing what you were doing all hours of the day. This was a fundamental shift into a more mechanical life.

Another moment came in 1879 when Thomas Edison created the light bulb. At that time, the average American averaged over 10 hours of sleep. Today, the average person sleeps less than 7 hours a night. The light bulb was a great invention, but no one truly knew the effects it would have on society. It expanded the amount of time that people could do things within the day. Work and tasks could be done at all hours of the day moving forward. For example, there was no longer just a first shift, but rather expanded shifts into the evening and night.

Sure other changes occurred in society over time like electricity, television, the car and other modern technologies. BUT nothing changed society like the iPhone in 2007. This fundamentally changed our world forever. The world was now connected with a device at the palm of their hand. Calling, texting, information, maps and an unlimited list of apps to connect people together. Interestingly, depending on the study, results can be a bit different, but one completed in 2016 showed that an average person touched their phone over 2,500 times per day for over 2 and half hours of screen time. In 2019, that rose to over 5 hours a day of screen time. Today it continues to climb with numbers skyrocketing to over 12 hours on the phone for some.

Just for some context, if:

A person averages 4 hours a day on their phone then…

equals 1,460 hours a year on a phone…

or 8.69 weeks a year on a phone…

or 28 hours a week on a phone.

And before you say, I use my phone for work or no way I use mine that much, ask your spouse or children or friend if you are on your phone a lot. Over the next month, track how much time you are on your phone and see how much each person is on their phone. The result may startle you.

We now have this “hurry” sickness coupled with an infatuation to our phones and technology. We can never be truly present in what we do. It is now easy to always fit one more thing in. We feel we have to check one more thing off, work a little later, bring work home with us, text someone, answer a call during dinner or even watch just “one” more episode on Netflix even when we shouldn’t.

We are preoccupied with our devices, no matter what we are doing, who we are around or what is on our agenda. When is the last time you have went hiking to have peace and quiet without checking your phone, or when was the last time grocery shopping happened without having your phone out talking or texting?

When do we ever stop. A time to shut off. A time for our bodies to recharge. We know we make time for our phones and devices to recharge. Our bodies are not robots nor some piece of technology. We are much more valuable and have to make time for what is most important. A new phone or computer can easily be purchased at the local stores or even at your fingertips. Your body cannot be replaced. We have one body and one life. We need to care for it!

Unfortunately, this “hurry” sickness and technology infatuation has caused a disconnection of family, friends and church. We are becoming known as the most connected, but disconnected generation of people. We may seem to know everyone, but we truly do not know people very closely.

The reality is we only have so much time here on Earth. This makes us think we have to get everything done in a moment’s notice, yet the number one answer people in their retirement years say is, I wish I would have done _________. Fill in the blank. Have you said this before?

We have to understand that only Jesus knows when our time here is ending. We need to work to understand time management and that we are in control of how we use our time. “I am just too busy,” is not an acceptable answer in life. There are times when things happen and you are busy, but are we always really that busy. No one is holding you hostage to do something. Each of us are in control of our lives and how we prioritize our time.

You may be one who is on their phone for far too many hours a day currently or one who cannot shut off after work, so you work even more. Maybe you borrow stress from others without taking care of yourself. Now is the time to take control for, YOU! The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us in chapter 3 verses 1 and 2, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.”

Life is short and there are seasons in life. It is time to uproot the season of technology and phones and kick them to the curb and let’s take back control of our life. (Not saying get rid of them all together, but start monitoring your time on them!) Start prioritizing your time and monitoring what you say yes and no to. Find your passion again. Be courageous and grow. Have dinner with your neighbor. Go for a hike or travel somewhere you always wanted to go. Volunteer for something. Do not be busy doing mindless things that do not matter. When Jesus gives you a nudge, listen. You may be surprised where He will lead you.

XOXO

Mark and Megan